Fight for Old DC


Book Description

In 1932 laundry-store tycoon George Preston Marshall became part owner of the Boston Braves franchise in the National Football League. To separate his franchise from the baseball team, he renamed it the Redskins in 1933 and then in 1937 moved his team to Washington DC, where the team won two NFL championships over the next decade. But it was off the field that Marshall made his lasting impact. An innovator, he achieved many "firsts" in professional football. His team was the first to telecast all its games, have its own fight song and a halftime show, and assemble its own marching band and cheerleading squad. He viewed football as an entertainment business and accordingly made changes to increase scoring and improve the fan experience. But along with innovation, there was controversy. Marshall was a proud son of the South, and as the fifties came to a close, his team remained the only franchise in the three major league sports to not have a single black player. Marshall came under pressure from Congress and the NFL and its president, Pete Rozelle, as league expansion and new television contract possibilities forced the issue on the reluctant owner. Outside forces finally pushed Marshall to trade for Bobby Mitchell, the team's first black player, in 1962. With the story of Marshall's holdout as the backdrop, Fight for Old DC chronicles these pivotal years when the NFL began its ascent to the top of the nation's sporting interest.




Fight for Old DC


Book Description

"The story of the convergence of Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall, resisting integration as the last holdout in football and in pro sports, with the major changes that took place in the NFL from 1958 through 1962"-- $c Provided by publisher.




Unique Eats and Eateries of Washington, DC


Book Description

Join local author JoAnn Hill as she leads you on a mouthwatering adventure throughout the Washington, DC, area to explore eats and eateries that are both familiar and exotic. Each story offers a fascinating depiction of the remarkable journeys that led to the delicious dishes and drinks that have helped put DC’s flourishing food scene on the map. Tantalize your taste buds with swoon-worthy savors and sips like handcrafted, wood-smoked barbecue; Spam musubi, Hawaiian-style rice balls that will satisfy even the most discerning of palates; iconic half-smokes, DC’s symbolic sausage; and the queen of all Bloody Marys, the Lox’d and Loaded, a Bloody Mary jewel of a drink crowned with a lox-stuffed bagel. Relish exotic flavors that transport you across the globe with simmering Ethiopian stews scooped up with torn-apart pieces of injera, and delightful dosas, crispy lentil-flour crepes stuffed with savory fillings. Meet the talented and tenacious individuals behind the comforting plates, indulgent sweets, blissful bites, and thirst-quenching beverages that satisfy our cravings and nourish our bellies. In Unique Eats and Eateries of Washington, DC, you’ll discover an extraordinary collection of food and drink experts exquisitely seasoned by dashes of passion, sprinkles of grit, and pinches of ingenuity. Throughout Unique Eats and Eateries of Washington, DC, you will embark upon a delectable tour of the area’s most unique, innovative, and enjoyable food and drink spots where there’s a delightful culinary revelation and awe-inspiring story around every corner.




Showdown


Book Description

A classic NFL/civil rights story—the showdown between the Washington Redskins and the Kennedy White House In Showdown, sports historian Thomas G. Smith captures a striking moment, one that held sweeping implications not only for one team’s racist policy but also for a sharply segregated city and for the nation as a whole. Part sports history, part civil rights story, this compelling and untold narrative serves as a powerful lens onto racism in sport, illustrating how, in microcosm, the fight to desegregate the Redskins was part of a wider struggle against racial injustice in America.




William Henry Jernagin in Washington, D.C.: Faith in the Fight for Civil Rights


Book Description

William Henry Jernagin was a devout Christian and fierce advocate for civil rights in the first half of the twentieth century. He was senior pastor of the Mount Carmel Baptist Church in the Mount Vernon Square neighborhood for more than forty-five years. His activism made him an internationally recognized figure. He was a foundational leader in the American civil rights movement. His residency allowed him to contribute to the collective action to abolish Jim Crow in the nation's capital. Through his office in the National Baptist Convention, he also identified the potential in a lesser-known leader of the time, Martin Luther King Jr. Jernagin's passion lifted him to leading positions in the National Baptist Convention and National Fraternal Council of Negro Churches, as well as close work with Presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower. Author Ida E. Jones reveals the story of this often-overlooked leader and his fight for civil rights while living in the District of Columbia.




Rozelle


Book Description

Rozelle chronicles the life and times of the architect of the modern National Football League, Pete Rozelle, who transformed football into arguably the most successful sports league in the world. While he was never considered a serious candidate for the job of NFL commissioner early on, the position ultimately catapulted Rozelle into the role through which he transformed the NFL and became a trailblazer for all sports in the second half of the twentieth century. When he became commissioner in 1960, the league had twelve teams playing to half-empty stadiums and was mired in an outdated business model. Rozelle introduced revenue and television profit sharing to guarantee the success of small-market teams and brought every NFL game to national television. Rozelle’s monumental achievements include the introduction of the Super Bowl in the ’60s followed by the NFL’s most rapid expansion and the establishment of Monday Night Football. The ’80s saw Rozelle presiding over drug scandals, labor struggles, and the league’s legal battles with team owners such as Oakland’s Al Davis, who famously won a lawsuit to move his Raiders to Los Angeles. Jerry Izenberg chronicles the iconic life of Rozelle, who revolutionized the culture of sports in America and is responsible for turning the NFL into the preeminent sports league in the world.




Washington, D.C


Book Description










Historical Tours Washington, DC


Book Description

These history travel guides provide an introduction discussing the history and preservation of the present-day site and facilities and include a detailed, walking tour interspersed with first-hand accounts about the cemetery and events that have taken place there. A timeline runs through the walking tour giving descriptions of key personalities who conceived, planned and designed the area with brief and colorful biographies. Also included is information that visitors to the site need to know about planning a trip there, including where to stay, eat, and what to see nearby.