His book had provided endless anecdotes about the very American dream of bootstrapping oneself to success. Still, Ashe did not find that explanation totally convincing. I have to believe that we blacks have something that gives us an edge. I want to hear from the scientists. Taboo is a response to Arthur's challenge.
Athletic competition offers a definitiveness that eludes most other aspects of our life.
Physical and physiological differences, infinitesimal as they may appear, are crucial in competitions in which a fraction of a second separates the gold medallist from the also-ran. This is of course dangerous territory. Fascination about black physicality, and black anger about being caricatured as a lesser human being, have been part of the dark side of the American dialogue on race for more than a century. Taboo respects these justifiable concerns. Yet, pretending there are no slippery questions does not prevent them from being asked, if only under one's breath.