A review by mat_tobin
Waiting for Pumpsie by Barry Wittenstein
5.0
Based on the true story of Pumpise Green's debut as a baseball player for the Boston Red Sox in 1959, Wittenstein tells the story of racism in sport and how Pumpsie's eventual moment of playing led to the historic dismantling of those barriers within the game which prevented black players from playing. Told through the eyes of the fictional character, Bernard, a young black boy, we see his and his family's frustration with society and the game and the stigma which affected fair rights and opportunities for black people to be able to play competitively.
What is clear is how appalling the Red Sox were in supporting these changes and how important this moment was to all those who fought for equal rights with regards to race but also for those families who wanted and needed to see people like them playing the game. It is a pity that the story was not written by someone black from a family created by Wittenstein but he pulls no punches towards the racism and ignorance presentation by some of the white spectators.
I think this would be an excellent book to use to explore the theme of segregation and equal rights. Wittenstein does not force the point but, through Bernard and his family, leaves enough moral reflection to let the reader consider how foreign such a concept should be considered. I would certainly use it to reflect on the racism which still pervades in the UK especially in sports such as football in which I still witness some appalling abuse.
What is clear is how appalling the Red Sox were in supporting these changes and how important this moment was to all those who fought for equal rights with regards to race but also for those families who wanted and needed to see people like them playing the game. It is a pity that the story was not written by someone black from a family created by Wittenstein but he pulls no punches towards the racism and ignorance presentation by some of the white spectators.
I think this would be an excellent book to use to explore the theme of segregation and equal rights. Wittenstein does not force the point but, through Bernard and his family, leaves enough moral reflection to let the reader consider how foreign such a concept should be considered. I would certainly use it to reflect on the racism which still pervades in the UK especially in sports such as football in which I still witness some appalling abuse.