Jump for Joy by Gena Caponi-Tabery Book Analysis

The book Jump for Joy by Gena Caponi-Tabery speaks about the cultural significance of basketball and jazz in black culture in 1930s America. Basketball originated in Massachusetts and quickly became a popular game in the United States and was known to require jumping, a form to embrace the expression of extreme happiness and excitement. Caponi-Tabery analyzes basketball as having a huge cultural significance for black people. The significance of basketball is that it was at first a white sport. What was once labeled “Negro basketball”, that had the shots and strategies such as the slam dunk, the fast break, and the jump shot became embraced and known to be a part of an all-American sport. Capponi-Tabery analyzes jazz as also having a huge cultural significance because it once defined black people’s music as “jump music” or “race music.” Then it later became something much greater for black people and as Caponi-Tabery states, “their culture was defining American culture.” I will also be introducing the cultural significance of R&B music for black people as it ties to the importance of basketball as well as jazz music.  

Basketball in 1930s America made a huge impact on popular culture today for the reason being that it was adapted to be a white sport. Later on, this phenomenon became widely known as an inclusive American sport. Not only did the sport develop for black people, but it was also widely popular for Indian reservations and other races. Furthermore, it was later inclusive for girls too as James Naismith who created the game saw no issue with including girls to play. The acceptance of black players was a great change in the right direction as certain moves and tactics that were once limited or prohibited such as the slam dunk, became widely known and popular. “The jump shot, the fast break (from which it evolved), and the slam dunk are staples of contemporary basketball and should be credited with making the game the enormously popular spectator sport today” (Caponi-Tapery). The NCAA prohibited the use of slam dunks in 1967 because it was not a skillful shot and also was citing injury concerns. However, Caponi-Tapery mentioned it's actually what made the sport exciting and thrilling for the crowds at the games. What also allowed basketball to be so important is that it became an all-inclusive sport that showed healthy competition, socialization, support, and unity among individuals. The author states, “It quickly became a game for all kinds of people and was played all over the United States— in small towns, in barnyards, on Indian reservations.” The change was great for black people as their gaming tactics were no longer defined as “Negro basketball” but were however inclusive into being a part of the American game. Caponi-Tabery states:  

The experimentation and improvisation of black players have pushed all basketball players beyond what was once thought possible. And black players have long since proved what they could do if allowed to move from outdoor playgrounds into the finer training and playing facilities originally reserved for whites only.