We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

From blackwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
We are the Ship.jpg
We are the Ship2.jpg

Kadir Nelson was the author of We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball book. He is a Los Angeles–based painter, illustrator, and author who is best known for his paintings often featured on the covers of The New Yorker magazine, and album covers for Michael Jackson and Drake. His work is focused on African-American culture and history.[1]

Summary

The story of Negro League baseball is the story of gifted athletes and determined owners, of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship; of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It is a perfect mirror for the social and political history of black America in the first half of the twentieth century. But most of all, the story of the Negro Leagues is about hundreds of unsung heroes who overcame segregation, hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do the one thing they loved more than anything else in the world: play ball.[2]

Pros

The readers opinion about this book can be read on Goodread's site as they mention this is a great book. The author uses a rhythm that is kind of old fashioned and stereotype that typically a rural African American. Instead of ever crossing the line into being either a mockery or calling too much attention to the language and away from the material the language actually adds an 'authentic' feel to the story being told. The story also illustrates the challenges African Americans faced when playing baseball and the difference of experiences they had then the white baseball leagues. The structure of the story is told in a narrative form, which is the voice of all of the players of the team. This structure allows for an easy and engaging read about a very interesting history. The painting of the book is extraordinary and adds significantly to the story being told. The book was highly researched and is very authentic in its quality.[1]

The use of the narrator, the every player, is intensely effective, bringing us along for the story as if you are sitting in the stands listening to the memories of players firsthand. The narrator uses broad strokes, telling of the different teams and cities and swiftly moving through the timeline to give a thorough overview of the league.[3]

This book is well-researched text and is a stand-out. Nelson's paintings showcase the players as the heroes they were and give added emotional heft to their compelling stories. The athletes stand tall and serious, making eye contact with the reader to bring kids into the narrative. Fortunately Nelson's words do his pictures justice. This is no boring history book because the narrator has a relaxed way of telling the stories that is sure to interest most children. This is a much needed, beautifully produced book that belongs on the shelves of both baseball fans and history buffs.[4]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. goodreads.com. Retrieved February 1st, 2021
  2. We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. amazon.com. Retrieved February 1st, 2021
  3. BOOK REVIEW: WE ARE THE SHIP BY KADIR NELSON. April 9, 2019. threebooksanight.com. Retrieved February 1st, 2021
  4. We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. commonsensemedia.org. Retrieved February 1st, 2021