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Running While Black

Finding Freedom in a Sport That Wasn't Built for Us

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Running While Black

By: Alison Mariella Désir
Narrated by: Alison Mariella Désir
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A searing exposé on the whiteness of running, a supposedly egalitarian sport, and a call to reimagine the industry

“Runners know that running brings us to ourselves. But for Black people, the simple act of running has never been so simple. It is a declaration of the right to move through the world. If running is claiming public space, why, then, does it feel like a negotiation?”

Running saved Alison Désir’s life. At rock bottom and searching for meaning and structure, Désir started marathon training, finding that it vastly improved both her physical and mental health. Yet as she became involved in the community and learned its history, she realized that the sport was largely built with white people in mind.

Running While Black draws on Désir’s experience as an endurance athlete, activist, and mental health advocate to explore why the seemingly simple, human act of long distance running for exercise and health has never been truly open to Black people. Weaving historical context—from the first recreational running boom to the horrific murder of Ahmaud Arbery—together with her own story of growth in the sport, Désir unpacks how we got here and advocates for a world where everyone is free to safely experience the life-changing power of movement.

As America reckons with its history of white supremacy across major institutions, Désir argues that, as a litmus test for an inclusive society, the fitness industry has the opportunity to lead the charge—fulfilling its promise of empowerment. Politics & Government Racism & Discrimination Running & Jogging Social Sciences Discrimination Physical Exercise Sports Health Mental Health
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Loved this book and found it incredibly insightful. The narrator and storyteller is delved seamlessly with hard hitting facts about running, race and white supremacy. I found this book so important and spoke to my own experiences of running as woman of colour.

Such an important book!

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It's so easy to assume that in this day & age we are all equal. An eye opener.

I'm glad I'm not black in America.

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