Lodi writer Paul Provost's new book a 'wake-up call'

Lodian P. Paul Provost just came out with his book, "Ebony Legends in Sports," which examines the decline of black athletes in sports. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

Lodi writer Paul Provost's new book a 'wake-up call'

By Joelle Milholm
News-Sentinel Staff Writer

Monday, October 19, 2009 6:19 AM PDT

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At age 89, Paul Provost isn't slowing down a bit.

The Lodi resident still plays 18 holes of golf at least two times a week — three if he can help it. He's also trying to make a difference, not only in the sporting world, but for African Americans as well.

He's disturbed the number of black athletes in a wide variety of professional sports is on the decline. He's equally saddened by the lack of black children getting involved in sports at a young age.

In his new book, "Ebony Legends in Sports," he discusses the problems he sees and hopes it can draw some attention to the issue.

"My book is a wake-up call to the black community, to the schools," Provost said. "Kids aren't being pushed by their parents. It's neglect on the parents' part."

Provost writes about the early "Ebony Legends" who paved the way for today's black athletes. He doesn't just talk about the famous ones like Jackie Robinson either, he goes into the history of other sports like golf's early pioneers around the Civil War and the early start of horse racing when African American slaves trained horses.

"I wrote about the legends that came from the ghettos and made it great in sports," Provost said. "At one time we couldn't play golf, baseball or football at the professional level. They had to be brought in through perseverance, politics, sacrifice and endurance. Kids today can do the same thing if they make the sacrifices to do so and it's legal."

While Provost said it only took him about 18 months to churn out the 218-page book, he first started noticing the lack of black athletes in schools decades ago. After serving in the Navy, Provost worked at a janitor in Oakland and observed the early signs of the decline. Provost is out promoting his book at message a churches from Oakland to Fresno. His passion for sports, which he believes gives young people the discipline they need to succeed in life, as well as helping his community, has him even trying to get the NAACP to help spread his message. He also said he tossed a little humor into book to make it even more appealing

"To me it's not so much as whether the book sells or not, I just want people to read it," Provost said. "There is the saying it takes a village to raise a child and it takes a village to raise an athlete too and we have neglected our young people."

"Ebony Legends in Sports" is Provost's second book. He's also written an autobiography titled "A Sailor's Story: The Autobiography of Percy Paul Provost," a volume that talks about his hardships as a black man in the Navy in the 1940s and 50s.

Provost doesn't plan on having "Ebony Legends in Sports" be his last book either. He's already got the third in the works as he is compiling the ingredients for a book that will encompass his travels around the world over the last 50 years.

He's started some of the preliminary work and plans to start writing this winter when the rain will force him off the golf course and confine him to his home office.

Contact reporter Joelle Milholm at joellem@lodinews.com.