Michael Johnson Recommends
![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/G/02/AudibleUK/en_GB/cruk/email/merch/2021/oct_defiance/MJ_500.jpg)
Learning from the greats
by Michael JohnsonDuring my sporting career I knew as a Black American that I was treated differently by some people, but believed the Civil Rights Act that our parents worked so hard for had made Black people equal in America. It felt like we were equal, but in the last several years, along with many others Black Americans I realise we were only made to feel equal so we wouldn’t keep demanding true equality. Things have improved dramatically from the times of my parents, but we still don’t have true equality in America. As I’ve grown older, become a father, and as society has evolved, I’ve come to a greater realisation of institutionalised racism around the world and what discrimination can do to a person – their self-image, their trajectory in life, and even in extreme cases the tragic and lethal violence it can create. Recent events in my own country and beyond, and the movements that have sprung up as a response, have compelled me to take a more active role in using my profile to speak up to power and to call out wrong where I see it. And this is certainly nothing new, athletes have long been at the forefront of campaigning for change, in fact they have used their platforms throughout history to stand up for what is right. I stand in awe of what they have done, what they prioritised even at the risk of destroying their own careers. Even now, as an athlete I struggle to comprehend how they could make such sacrifices.
Uncovering stories
They are greater men and women than I, and their sacrifice has not been in vain. Sport has an unbelievable power to bring people together, uniting countries and the world in shared moments of glory. The eyes of the world truly are on athletes at the peak of their powers, and this attention brings it with it huge opportunity. You only have to see how the actions of John Carlos and Tommie Smith have resonated throughout history, how rugby players such as Francois Pienaar and Siya Kolosi have broken down the mindset of apartheid in South Africa, and how Colin Kaepernick has truly changed our world. Their stories, and others like them, deserve to be told. Their actions are part of our history and are part of our progress towards a more equal world.'
![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51HXFg9A3LL._SL500_.jpg)
Michael recommends...
Four audiobooks selected by Michael Johnson for further listening on activism and driving change.-
-
Why We Kneel How We Rise
- By: Michael Holding
- Narrated by: Michael Holding
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Through the prism of sport and conversations with its legends, Michael Holding explains how racism dehumanises people; how it works to achieve that end; how it has been ignored by history and historians; and what it is like to be treated differently because of the colour of your skin....
-
-
Heartbreaking
- By Jayne Morgan on 06-11-21
-
Why We Kneel How We Rise
- Narrated by: Michael Holding
- Length: 10 hrs
- Release date: 22-07-21
- Language: English
- Why We Kneel How We Rise
- In this audiobook Michael talks to athletes including Usain Bolt, Naomi Osaka and Michael Johnson himself, as he explains his belief of how better education for all will drive change for good.
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.Add to basket failed.
Please try again laterAdd to wishlist failed.
Please try again laterRemove from wishlist failed.
Please try again laterAdding to library failed
Please try againFollow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Regular price: £12.99 or 1 Credit
Sale price: £12.99 or 1 Credit
-
-
-
I Am Jackie Robinson
- Ordinary People Change the World Series
- By: Brad Meltzer
- Narrated by: Donte Bonner, Various
- Length: 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jackie Robinson always loved sports, especially baseball. But he lived at a time before the Civil Rights Movement, when the rules weren't fair to African Americans. Even though Jackie was a great athlete, he wasn't allowed on the best teams just because of the color of his skin....
-
I Am Jackie Robinson
- Ordinary People Change the World Series
- Narrated by: Donte Bonner, Various
- Series: Ordinary People Change the World Series
- Length: 18 mins
- Release date: 05-02-19
- Language: English
- I Am Jackie Robinson: Ordinary People Change the World Series
- If you’re looking to help your child learn more about great role models then this short biography, which is actually narrated in the first person, is an inspiring start.
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.Add to basket failed.
Please try again laterAdd to wishlist failed.
Please try again laterRemove from wishlist failed.
Please try again laterAdding to library failed
Please try againFollow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Regular price: £2.99 or 1 Credit
Sale price: £2.99 or 1 Credit
-
-
-
Full Dissidence
- Notes from an Uneven Playing Field
- By: Howard Bryant
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A bold and impassioned meditation on injustice in our country that punctures the illusion of a postracial America and reveals it as a place where authoritarianism looms large....
-
Full Dissidence
- Notes from an Uneven Playing Field
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
- Release date: 21-01-20
- Language: English
- Full Dissidence: Notes from an Uneven Playing Field
- Sports journalist Howard Bryant has written nine essays in his book Full Dissidence providing his perspective on topics such as the erasure of Black identity in professional sports.
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.Add to basket failed.
Please try again laterAdd to wishlist failed.
Please try again laterRemove from wishlist failed.
Please try again laterAdding to library failed
Please try againFollow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Regular price: £12.99 or 1 Credit
Sale price: £12.99 or 1 Credit
-
-
-
Rise Up
- Confronting a Country at the Crossroads
- By: Al Sharpton
- Narrated by: Al Sharpton, Leon Nixon
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beginning with a foreword by Michael Eric Dyson, Rise Up is a rousing call to action for our nation, drawing on lessons learned from Reverend Al Sharpton’s unique experience as a politician, television and radio host, and civil rights leader....
-
-
Disturbing, Encouraging, Liberating
- By Simon Perry on 29-09-20
-
Rise Up
- Confronting a Country at the Crossroads
- Narrated by: Al Sharpton, Leon Nixon
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Release date: 29-09-20
- Language: English
- Rise Up: Confronting a Country at the Crossroads
- American preacher, talk show host and politician Reverend Al Sharpton shares his thoughts on how to move forward in playing your part in creating change.
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.Add to basket failed.
Please try again laterAdd to wishlist failed.
Please try again laterRemove from wishlist failed.
Please try again laterAdding to library failed
Please try againFollow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Regular price: £12.99 or 1 Credit
Sale price: £12.99 or 1 Credit
-