“Not sure if some of those old-timers knew what to do when we all marched in,” Jesse said. “Probably the first time a colored man ever set foot in some of those places.”
Again, the men laughed and clinked glasses.
“So, you all ready for Saturday?” Tidye asked, fanning herself with her hand. “Big couple of days for you boys on Randall Island.”
“You know it,” Ralph said. “We’re taking it easy, but it’s too blessed hot to stay in that hotel.”
“Sure is,” Mack said. He turned to Louise. “Is this your first Olympics?”
“Mack, I know you’ve heard of what happened in Los Angeles,” Ralph said, shaking his head. “Tidye and Louise went to California, but were pulled from the relay at the last minute.”
All the men raised their eyebrows and shook their heads.
“Now that’s just a shame,” mumbled one of them, whom Louise recognized as Dave Albritton, Jesse’s teammate from Ohio State who often appeared beside him in newspaper pictures.
The waitress reappeared to set two sweating glasses of champagne on the table, and Dave handed them to the women.
Louise cleared her throat. “I’m actually not even sure I’m going to Berlin. Our coach just announced that the AOC is only paying for five women to compete. Tidye’s one of them. She raced so well in Providence that she won herself a guaranteed trip.”
“That so?” Mack asked. “Well, Tidye, congratulations, but I sure hope things work out for you too, Louise.” She had hoped to make amends to Tidye, but from the way Mack had angled his body to turn into hers, she doubted her success.
“Here’s to all of us going to Berlin and winning,” Jesse said, lifting his beer. Everyone cheered and then quieted as they drank. The cold champagne danced along Louise’s tongue and tickled her throat as it slipped down. She had never tasted anything quite like it and she took another, longer sip, eager for more of the fizzy feeling that it brought her. She didn’t want to think about fund-raising, or home, or how Tidye seemed to be ignoring her.
After everyone lowered their glasses, Jesse’s expression turned sober. “I’m serious, we have to win. If we’re going to Germany, we need to show Hitler that all his theories on a master race are a load of bunk.” The men grunted in agreement, but Jesse looked at Louise. “What do you make of all this boycott talk?”
Louise placed her champagne reluctantly on the table and licked her lips. How had her mouth gone dry so quickly? Malden’s newspaper had run the occasional stories outlining the debate on whether the U.S. should send a team to compete in the Berlin Games, but she hadn’t heeded them much. Back in December, she had been relieved to see the AOC had voted—by a very slim majority—for the U.S. to compete. She hadn’t realized that talk of a boycott still persisted. Her focus had been solely on qualifying for the Olympics, not boycotting them. She hadn’t spent the last eight years training only to decide that the crazy talk of one little man in a country on the other side of the world was going to make her stop. But here, surrounded by these handsome college men, she had a feeling she was supposed to be thinking about more than her own success.
Tidye cleared her throat and chimed in. “We don’t support the idea of boycotting. By racing over there, we won’t just be showing Hitler that his ideas are wrong, we’ll be showing our own country too.”
“Exactly,” Dave said. “You know, back at school, Jesse and I can’t even live on campus. Ohio State is only interested in having us around in ways that serve its interests.”
Jesse nodded. “Look, the NAACP was after us for a while, sending letters and writing to the papers telling us not to race, to show ’em we’re to strike a blow at bigotry, but that’s just letting a powerful opportunity go. Those Nazis aren’t the only ones with dangerous ideas about race. We’d be fools if we ignore what’s happening over here. We need to show our own country what we can do too.”
Tidye drained her glass. “All eyes are on you, Jesse. On all of you fellas, really. Staying home does nothing. After watching the last Olympics from the sidelines, I can definitely say it’s important to be on the track holding everyone’s attention. Nothing changes if you don’t put yourself out there.”
Ralph laughed and cocked his head at Tidye as he spoke to the group. “See what I mean? This girl’s a firecracker, writing for the Defender and all.”
Tidye brightened at the compliment and winked at Louise.
“It’s great. You’re both a part of this too,” Jesse said to Tidye and Louise. “We’re going to show everyone what we can do.”
Louise found herself nodding along with the rest of the group. She wanted to believe what Jesse was saying, but for one night she didn’t want to think too far ahead. What she really wanted to believe was that her friendship with Tidye could withstand envy and that a handsome college man could be interested in her, because even simple things like these could get complicated.
44.
July 13, 1936
New York City
OVER THE WEEKEND BETTY ATTENDED THE MEN’S qualifying races on Randall Island, and judging by the packed stands, it seemed everyone else in New York City was there too. But nothing could distract her from the persistent worries circling her mind. Was Jim having any luck selling her prizes from 1928? She tried to focus on the men’s results, but instead dollar amounts ran through her mind at all hours of the day and night. How much would that diamond watch sell for? How about the medals? Even if it all sold, would it be enough?
She sweltered in the stands above the men’s races along with the other track
