Booklist Review

In the 1960s, Nashville was at the center of the civil rights movement with student-organized sit-ins and peaceful protests, but another important movement was taking place on a nearby track. From 1950 to 1994, Tennessee State University's coach Ed Temple led one of the most impressive athletic dynasties in U.S. sports history. Known as the Tigerbelles, the all-Black women's track team included Olympians Wilma Rudolph, Wyomia Tyus, Mae Faggs, and Willye White, to name a few. Temple expected excellence from the young women on his team, who became world-class track and field athletes with unparalleled results. During his tenure they won 34 national titles and 23 Olympic medals (16 gold, 6 silver, and 4 bronze). Temple fought for funding and was motivated not only to develop the students' athletic potential but also "to educate young Black women so they could become leaders and uplift their communities." As the granddaughter of the legendary Vanderbilt track coach Ernest "Herc" Alley, the author has a personal connection to this story, with access to the subjects she features. Alley Card does a masterful job capturing the lasting impact of this sisterhood of Tigerbelles, who broke gender barriers during a time of Jim Crow racism and discrimination.