On Account of Darkness by Ian Kennedy

In many ways, Ontario's Chatham-Kent region is a microcosm of Canadian multiculturalism. As a terminus of the Underground Railroad, it has long been home to a large Black community, Walpole Island and Delaware First Nations are nearby, and many interned Japanese Canadians worked on local farms during World War II. The history of sport in the region is emblematic of the challenges that have confronted generations of non-white athletes nationwide.

Each chapter uses the story of a local athlete some famous, others more obscure to illuminate one aspect of the evolving relationship between race and sport in North America. Combining tales of personal triumph with sports history and social commentary,On Account of Darknessexamines systemic racism and ambivalent attitudes that persist to this day. (From Tidewater Press)

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Based in Erie Beach, Ont., Kennedy is a sports journalist and secondary school teacher. In 2011, he founded theChatham-Kent Sports Network,an online news outlet covering both amateur and professional athletes.

Interviews with Ian Kennedy