Graduation Year
Spring 2013
Document Type
Campus Only Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
History
Reader 1
Diana Selig
Reader 2
Melissa Hidalgo
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
© 2013 Peter Richman
Abstract
This Senior Thesis in History analyzes a number of newspaper articles from the 1950s and 1960s in order to investigate a noticeable historiographical narrative on former Harlem Globetrotters’ owner Abe Saperstein. Three historiographical accounts present the debated dichotomy of Abe’s character as a patronizing, bigoted owner toward his black players and as a champion of blacks’ rights. This research inquires as to the extent to which 1950s and 1960s newspaper portrayals of Abe either support or oppose historiographical interpretations. The resultant analysis argues that while a large portion of 1950s and 1960s articles bolster the substantially negative modern interpretations of Abe’s character, a significant amount of the primary sources present the owner in a much more favorable manner.
Recommended Citation
Richman, Peter, "The Portrayal of Harlem Globetrotters' Owner Abe Saperstein: A Historical Investigation of Modern Perspectives" (2013). CMC Senior Theses. 588.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/588
This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.
