The Tigerbelles

Olympic Legends from Tennessee State

by Aime Alley Card

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Pub Date Jan 02 2024 | Archive Date Jan 02 2024

History | Sports

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Description

The Tigerbelles tells the epic story of the 1960 Tennessee State University all-Black women’s track team, which found Olympic glory at the 1960 games in Rome. The author tells a story of desire, success and failure—of beating the odds—against the backdrop of a changing America, but tells it in an intimate way. Readers will come to know the individuals’ unique struggles and triumphs, while also understanding how these dreams emerged and solidified just as the country was struggling to leave the Jim Crow era behind. Coach Edward Temple pushed each team member to the limit and saw the possibilities in them that they often did not see themselves. The elite group of talent included Wilma Rudolph, Barbara Jones, Lucinda Williams, Martha Hudson, Willye B. White and Shirley Crowder: women who once were and should still be known world-wide. Ultimately the team’s drive was for more than medals: Coach Temple and the Tigerbelles wanted to change the world’s perception of what a group of young Black women in the Jim Crow south were capable of. Tigerbelles is a multi-layered inspirational tale of triumph over adversity. Based on memoirs and interviews with surviving team members, including Coach Temple, this is the story of an impossible dream come true.

Advance Praise

“This inspiring book chronicles the compelling journey of an underdog track team from Nashville, TN, as they raced over potholes on dusty dirt roads toward an eventual Olympic Gold victory. Aime Card shines a bright light on these extraordinary women, and I’m excited this story is being told.”

—Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Actor and New York Times Bestselling author of Where the Light Gets In

"The story of the Tigerbelles is one of the most inspiring tales in the history of athletics. Coach Ed Temple and an incredibly talented group of Olympians overcame barriers of race, class, and gender to become the most dominant track program in the world. Drawing on deep research and more than sixty years of interviews, Aime Card deftly brings this compelling story to life in The Tigerbelles. This is American history that must not be forgotten. Thanks to this fascinating, timely, and highly readable book, the story of remarkable women succeeding against the tallest odds will be enjoyed for generations to come.”

—Andrew Maraniss, New York Times bestselling author of Inaugural Ballers: The True Story of the First U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team

“The Tigerbelles is not only for sports lovers, but for anyone who values triumph over adversity, untold historical stories, women supporting women, and the collective power of a team breaking the mold. Their story is heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure.”

—Laura Munson, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, and founder of the acclaimed Haven Writing Retreats

“Through vivid storytelling, Aime Alley Card underscores the dogged determination it took for young, black, women track and field athletes to train in the 1950s Jim Crow South and triumph in Olympic competitions. Led by the indomitable Wilma Rudolph, Tennessee State’s Tigerbelles pushed past societal obstacles to inspire successive generations of girls and women to excel in sports, even as they also confront tough challenges.”

—Melissa Ludtke, former Sports Illustrated reporter who fought a court battle for equal rights, Ludtke v. Kuhn, in the 1970s