Louis Moore (historian) facts for kids

Louis Moore is an American historian. He teaches history at Grand Valley State University. He studies African American history, the Civil Rights Movement, and the history of sport. He especially looks at how race and sports are connected in American history. Louis Moore also hosts The Black Athlete podcast with fellow historian Derrick White.

Louis Moore's Journey in History

Louis Moore went to California State University, Sacramento. He earned his first degree there in 2001. Later, he studied history at The University of California, Davis. He received his master's degree in 2005 and his PhD in 2008.

Books by Louis Moore

In 2017, Louis Moore published a book called I fight for a living: Boxing and the Battle for Black Manhood, 1880–1915. This book looks at the lives of African American boxers around the early 1900s. Moore shows how boxing could be a way for Black men to earn money and challenge unfair rules like Jim Crow. Jim Crow laws were unfair rules that kept Black people separate and treated them badly.

Moore's book explains that boxing offered a rare chance for Black men to succeed financially. But it was also seen as a violent and not-so-respected job. He also writes about the racism in boxing, like the "color line". This was a barrier that kept Black boxers from fighting white boxers for championships. Famous Black boxers like Peter Jackson and Jack Johnson fought against this racism.

Also in 2017, Moore released another book: We Will Win the Day: the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Athlete, and the Quest for Equality. In this book, Moore explores the political actions of African American athletes after World War II. He shows how they helped the larger Civil Rights Movement.

He argues that these athletes helped change society outside of sports. They worked to end racial separation in sports like bowling and baseball. They also helped remove formal racial barriers in sports like American football and golf. Moore shares stories of famous athletes like Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Tommie Smith. He also talks about less known figures, such as tennis player Althea Gibson and golfer Bill Spiller.

Audiobook and Podcast Work

Louis Moore also narrated an audiobook for The Great Courses. It is called African-American Athletes Who Made History. This audiobook became a best-seller on Audible in 2020.

Moore often talks about the link between race and sports in American media. He used to write regularly for The Shadow League, a sports news website. Since 2019, he and Derrick White have hosted The Black Athlete podcast. On their podcast, they discuss how history helps us understand today's sports issues. For example, when a noose was found near NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, they talked about the history of lynchings in America. They also discussed how this history connects to sports culture.

Moore's work has been mentioned in many news places. These include Michigan Radio, The Nation, NPR, and Public Books.

Selected Works

• I fight for a living: Boxing and the Battle for Black Manhood, 1880–1915 (2017)
• We Will Win the Day: the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Athlete, and the Quest for Equality (2017)
• African-American Athletes Who Made History