Meet Ava Purkiss, Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan, as she shares insights from her groundbreaking book about historical figures including W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells, and Michelle Obama, who championed fitness for Black women and children alongside broader efforts for racial equality. Amidst the struggle against segregation and political oppression, Black women devised new approaches to the battle for full citizenship and social justice. Through exercises such as calisthenics, gymnastics, and nature walks, Black women demonstrated their physical and moral fitness for national belonging. Purkiss explores how physical activity was not merely a path to individual health but also a way for Black women to uplift their race and, over time, to ensure that citizens of all races have access to recreational spaces, including YMCAs, beaches, parks and playgrounds.
For an optimal experience, pair this course with Author Visit: Danielle Friedman, Let’s Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World (2022). Register for both author visits at once using Course 12725 and save $15.
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