We Are the Ship

By Kadir Nelson

Discover the untold story of baseball's unsung heroes who defied segregation to play the game they loved.

4.3/5 Goodreads · 4,113 ratings

88 pages

$20.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Step into the world of Negro League baseball, where gifted athletes and determined owners battled racial discrimination to pursue their passion. Through the eyes of an 'Everyman' player, experience the triumphs and challenges from the 1920s to Jackie Robinson's historic breakthrough in 1947. This vivid narrative, enriched by stunning oil paintings, captures the spirit of unsung heroes who played against all odds. What sacrifices did they make for the love of the game? Uncover the legacy of these pioneers who changed the face of baseball and mirrored the social history of black America.

From the publisher

“We are the ship; all else the sea.”-Rube Foster, founder of the Negro National League

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.

Using an “Everyman” player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through its decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. The voice is so authentic, you will feel as if you are sitting on dusty bleachers listening intently to the memories of a man who has known the great ballplayers of that time and shared their experiences. But what makes this book so outstanding are the dozens of full-page and double-page oil paintings-breathtaking in their perspectives, rich in emotion, and created with understanding and affection for these lost heroes of our national game.

We Are the Ship is a tour de force for baseball lovers of all ages.