Bunion Derby Part 2 – A Tribute to Black History Month

“I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” – Jackie Robinson

In November 2010 Monumental Effort published the story “The Bunion Derby – Part 1”.  On the eve of the 3^rd edition of The Mother Road 100-mile run, we briefly presented the history of the famed Route 66.  We talked about sports promoter C.C. Pyle’s pet project: “The First Annual International Trans-continental Foot Race”, we presented the eventual winner, Andy Payne, and reviewed Randy Ellis’s book “Running with Payne.”  This book is an account of the author’s personal journey as he retraced the steps of the original “bunioneers”.  At the conclusion of the post we promised a second part to this story in which we would offer more literature on this epic race and introduce different characters from the inaugural event.

 

The idea for Part 2 has been on the backburner for quite some time and I thought it would be most relevant if I blogged about it before the end of February.  (Yeah, I know…just like my universities days, I’m getting this one in just under the wire!)

In North America, the month of February is Black History Month.  During this period we are encouraged to remember and honor African Americans and African Canadians.  The Immigration and Citizenship Canada website says it best:  “We take this time to celebrate the many achievements and contributions of black Canadians who, throughout history, have done so much to make Canada the culturally diverse, compassionate and prosperous nation we are today.”

 

Nearly two decades before the great Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, six black athletes toed the line of the original Bunion Derby to compete alongside their white counterparts in a time when racial tension was still very prominent.  Of these runners, five were African American and the other was a Jamaican-born Canadian.  A tailor from Hamilton, Ontario, Philipp Granville was in fact one of the pre-race favorites to actually win the race.  C. C. Pyle had recruited many proven and accomplished professional athletes from Europe, whereas most of the North American participants were unknown and untested.  They were adventurous and determined young men hoping to reach the finish line first and earn the $25,000 prize…money they felt would lift them from poverty or help them better feed and clothe their families.  Granville however, was an Olympian and the holder of several race-walking World Records.  In order to compete in the Derby, Philipp Granville had to give up something he cherished dearly:  his amateur status.

 

Over the course of their 84-day odyssey, the bunioneers endured many hardships.  In addition to the daily grind of all those miles on muddy, potholed and dangerous roads, runners had to contend with all kinds of weather conditions, from the 95-degrees in the Mojave Desert to the winter storms in Arizona’s high country.  Runners did not receive adequate nutrition to replenish their broken-down bodies and medical assistance was limited.   Many athletes suffered from stomach problems and other illnesses due to the unclean water that was supplied.  Thanks in part to C.C. Pyle’s extremely noisy travelling carnival that accompanied the runners across the country as a cash-grab for the event, sleep was difficult to come by despite the fatigue and the inhumane sleeping arrangements did not help the runners get the required rest.  Runner John Stone Jr. quoted:  “Our blankets and pillows were so filthy it was a disgrace to the race.  We did not even have our own.  We got different ones each night.  We undoubtedly slept with our head in one end of a blanket, where some other unfortunate had his sore bleeding feet the previous night.”  In addition to all this, the black runners were bombarded with racial abuse and even death threats.

As the runners made their way across certain Southern states, specifically in Texas where the Ku Klux Klan still had a dominant presence in legislature, black athletes were greeted head on with the racial tension.  As they crossed this part of the country, the black runners were no longer permitted to sleep in the same tents as the white runners, they could not eat their meals with them and were often refused service in many public places.  One African American runner, Eddy Gardner, was even followed for an entire day by a farmer holding a shotgun who was daring him to pass a white runner.  For nearly a month, the black runners endured a living hell.  As they finally crossed into Illinois, and with the help of the bonds they had forged with the white runners, the remaining black athletes in the race were finally permitted to focus on their running and no longer feared for their lives.  At one point, Philipp Granville even started referring to himself as “Jamaican Indian” in hopes of avoiding some of the threats.

As for Granville’s race strategy, he started the event conservatively by speed walking the early stages.  He actually only started running past the midway point of the race.  Had he made the transition sooner, many believe he would have challenged Andy Payne for the win instead of his (still very impressive) 3^rd place finish.

Two compelling books offer much more in-depth information about the characters and the issues of The Bunion Derby.  These books are Geoff Williams’ “C.C. Pyle’s Amazing Foot Race” and “The Bunion Derby – The 1928 Footrace Across America” by Charles B. Kastner.  Kastner is an independent historian; as a result, his book is researched in great detail.  He offers lyrical accounts of the daily routines and much background information is provided about the participants and organizers of The Bunion Derby.  Geoff’s book, on the other hand, reads more like a nostalgic narrative and is more light-hearted and entertaining.  Both books are equally enjoyable and offer a different perspective on this incredible event.  You can order your copies by clicking on the picture of the book covers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not only were the bunioneers exceptional athletes and a source of inspiration for their Monumental Effort, they were without a doubt the pioneers of desegregation in the world of sports.   Charles B. Kastner writes:  “The heroism of the black bunioneers was a symbol of hope and pride to black communities they passed along the way, and to black America as a whole… The derby also showed the nation that blacks and whites could compete against one another even if they were not yet ready to live together in harmony.”

Thanks for reading and please feel free to leave us a comment.

Gotta run,

Vince

 

 

 

Tagged as: bookreviews, monumentalefforts