The Black Bruins

Looking at the names of the five men which serve as the subject of this book, and one, Jackie Robinson, obviously stands out. But do not let Robinson's fame overshadow how incredible the story of each man is, or how unbelievable it was for five men of this ilk and race to be grouped together in the 1930's. All five men battled prejudice and hardship with extraordinary resiliency and determination. All five men contributed greatly to our society, and all five should be remembered fondly for their contributions. I enjoyed discovering the journeys of each man, and how they were able to achieve greatness even when the world did not want them to succeed.

During an era in which there were “gentleman” agreements between schools to not sign African-Americans to football scholarships, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) broke that agreement in spectacular style, having five black players on the team in 1938 and 1939. The stories of these five men, whose impact would be felt much further than just in college football, is told in this well-researched book by James W. Johnson.

The five men, whose names are in the title, all had good playing careers for the Bruins and each left UCLA on good terms, but little did they realize that every one of them would be leaving their marks as ground-breaking pioneers in various industries.

Of course, the best known of these is Jackie Robinson, who broke major league baseball’s color barrier in 1947 when he suited up for the Brooklyn Dodgers. His story and the many tribulations he went through during his time with first the Montreal Royals and then the Dodgers is well known and has been the subject of several books and even movies. Therefore, readers who have read other works on Robinson may not find anything new about him in this book, but because Robinson is such an important figure in not only sports, but in the civil rights movement, his story is worth reading. Whether it was the meetings with Branch Rickey before appearing on the field, the way Jackie kept quiet when other players and managers were heaping abuse upon him, or his later distrust of Dodger owner Walter O’Malley; the author does a good job of writing about Robinson in a relatively limited amount of pages dedicated to his story.

The reason I say “relatively limited amount” is that Johnson also gives well-deserved pages and tributes to the other four men as well. Kenny Washington and Woody Strode became the first black players to be signed by the NFL after World War II, each signing with the Rams. Washington had several good years for the Rams, although it was believed that he was not signed right away not because of his race, but because he wasn’t as good on defense as many players in the league. Remember, this was during the era of players who played both offense and defense. One other note about Washington – many feel that he was a good enough baseball player that if he chose that route; he, not Robinson, would have been the man to break the baseball color barrier. And conversely, many also felt Robinson would have made a fine NFL player had he chosen football instead of baseball.

Strode, on the other hand, appeared in few games and had little playing time during his stint with the Rams. However, he made his mark in another sport – professional wrestling, where he was often cast as the opponent of Gorgeous George. This exposure, during which he opened the doors to black performers in wrestling, led Strode to a very successful acting career, appearing in over 50 full-length feature films. More importantly, Strode landed mostly parts that broke the stereotype of roles that had previously been played by black actors, such as servants. Again, Johnson writes about these advancements for African-Americans in this industry with excellent detail and research.

Tom Bradley also broke barriers for blacks after his college football career was done, but not in sports or entertainment. Instead, he became an officer in the Los Angeles Police Department. Then after transitioning to politics, he became the first black mayor of Los Angeles. Elected in 1973, he went on to serve five terms in the office and dabbled in national politics as well. Bradley attributed to his successful political career to his time at UCLA and playing sports – not just football but also his success in track running the 440-yard dash. Ray Bartlett, the least known of the five, also had a successful career in the police force, becoming the second black officer for the Pasadena Police Department and also donating much time and energy to civil rights causes.

The book tells the stories and accomplishments of these five men in great detail, making sure the reader understands the contributions made about the men. Of course, their college football careers are well chronicled as well, as that comprises the first quarter or so of the book. But what happens after UCLA is what makes this book an important one to read for those readers who are interested in the civil rights movement and the integration of sports and entertainment.

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you like sports, if you like history, if you like inspirational stories, this book is for you (especially if you like UCLA). As a fan of UCLA I was happy to see a book that delved into the history of these black athletes. I knew of Jackie Robinson, but had only heard mention of the other 4 athletes. A great read.

A wonderful book about five men who faced and overcame racism from the 1930s to each become successful in their chosen fields. I found each story good and of course could have been a little longer for me. I still remember when MR. Bradley became mayor of Los Angeles. A well-written book.