The Heritage is the story of the rise, fall, and fervent return of the black athlete activist. Journalist Howard Bryant reveals how the presence of black athletes on the playing field has always been political. As Bryant argues, the immense social responsibilities that came with their super-star status is part of the black athletic heritage built by the radical politics of Paul Robeson, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos through the 1960s; undermined by corporate-friendly "transcenders of race," O.J. Simpson, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods in the following decades; and reclaimed today by the likes of LeBron James, Colin Kaepernick, and Carmelo Anthony.

Through deep research and interviews with some of sports' best-known stars--including Kaepernick, David Ortiz, Charles Barkley, and Chris Webber--as well as members of law enforcement and the military, Bryant details the post-9/11 transformation of sports arenas into staging grounds for American patriotism, and the explosive response of politically engaged black athletes.