On Friday, June 3, America lost one of its most prolific black athletes. Muhammad Ali was a heavyweight champion, controversial Civil Rights icon, The Greatest. Over the years, UNP has published a number of books that highlight the legacy of the man who taught us to “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” and those who paved the way for his success. 

Sting Like a Bee: The Muhammad Ali Story by José Torres

Sometimes They Even Shook Your Hand: Portraits of Champions Who Walked Among Us by John Schulian

This Is Where I Came In: Black America in the 1960s by Gerald L. Early

Third Man in the Ring: 33 of Boxing’s Best Referees and Their Stories by Mike Fitzgerald and Patrick Morley

From Jack Johnson to Lebron James: Sports, Media, and the Color Line edited and with an introduction by Chris Lamb

Before Jackie Robinson: The Transcendent Role of Black Sporting Pioneers (February 2017) by Gerald R. Gems