The Tigerbelles: Olympic Legends from Tennessee State

The Tigerbelles tells the epic story of the 1960 Tennessee State University all-Black women’s track team, which found Olympic glory at the 1960 games in Rome. Author Aime Alley Card tells an epic story of desire, success, and failure—of beating the odds—against the backdrop of a changing America. Readers will come to know the individuals’ unique struggles and triumphs, while also understanding how these dreams emerged and solidified just as the country was struggling to leave the Jim Crow era behind. Coach Edward Temple pushed each team member to the limit and saw the possibilities in them that they often did not see themselves. The elite group of talent included Wilma Rudolph, Barbara Jones, Lucinda Williams, Martha Hudson, Willye B. White, and Shirley Crowder: women who once were and should still be known worldwide.

Ultimately the team’s drive was for more than medals. Coach Temple and the Tigerbelles wanted to change the world's perception of what this group of young women were capable of. The Tigerbelles is a multilayered inspirational tale of triumph over adversity. Operating on a shoestring budget and pitted dirt track, they nevertheless shared a common goal: to represent the USA in track and field. The arc of their story starts with the origins of the team in Nashville, continues through the Olympics in Rome in the early fall of 1960, and focus on the achievement of an entire team of women, highlighting not only their character and talent but also the relationships between them that helped propel them to their ultimate success. Based on memoirs and interviews with team members, including Coach Temple, this is the story of an impossible dream come true.