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How Did The Harlem Globetrotters Impact Society

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The influence that the Harlem Globetrotters have on American society is irrefutable. Though the Globetrotters were just a basketball team, their impact on society can be compared to that of revolutionaries like Thomas Paine and other American colonist during the American Revolution because they all did one thing: fought to overcome all obstacles thrust in their way. The Harlem Globetrotters were an all-African-American basketball team established in the intercity of Chicago in 1926 by Abe Saperstein, a Jewish-born Londoner. Throughout their 90 year stint as a team, the Globetrotters endured the ethnic prejudice and racial inequalities forced upon all people of color during the cultural decade; however, the way in which the team overcame these …show more content…

Today, the Harlem Globetrotters are nearing their 90th anniversary, an event where players, old and new, plan to gather together and celebrate the success of the Globetrotters. The current team, which consist of thirty one players, still travels and entertains large crowds each day. Since their establishment in 1926, the team has played in 120 countries and territories on six different continents, breaking racial and social barriers in the process, (Globetrotters). Moreover the success of the Globetrotters still teaches the youth of today that regardless of race, religion, or nationality, greatness can be achieved through hard work and determination. Ball obstacles in front of them, the Harlem Globetrotters were able to strive as a team and embody greatness that could be achieved by any …show more content…

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Wilker, Josh. The Harlem Globetrotters. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1997.

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