Eric Hall

Current Research

I am a historian of twentieth-century United States political and cultural history, with research specializations in African American history, sports history and biography: my work examines the intersections of race, sport and political activism in modern America. My book, Arthur Ashe: Tennis and Justice in the Civil Rights Era, analyzes how tennis player Arthur Ashe navigated the demands of elite athletics, civil rights advocacy and international politics during a transformative period in U.S. and global history. Drawing on extensive archival research, I highlight how Ashe's measured but principled engagement with both Black Power and integrationist movements shaped his emergence as an influential voice for racial and social justice.

Beyond my work on the United States, I have published on race and sport in apartheid-era South Africa, exploring the role of tennis as a site of political resistance and social change. My broader research interests include the ways popular culture informs and reflects political identities, as well as the relationship between athletic celebrity and public discourse.

My scholarship appears in both academic and public-facing venues, reflecting my commitment to making historical research accessible to a wide audience. My work has been published in the Journal of African American History, the Washington Post and other scholarly and mainstream outlets.

Major Publications

Book

Arthur Ashe: Tennis and Justice in the Civil Rights Era. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014.

Articles/Book Chapters

• "Foster v. Fourie: Race, Politics and Betrayal in Apartheid South Africa," The International Journal of the History of Sport, 2020.
• "Arthur Ashe: Politics, Racism and Tennis," in Robert Lake and Carol Osborne, eds., The Routledge Handbook of Tennis: History, Culture and Politics. London: Routledge, 2019.

Teaching Interests

I teach upper-level courses that explore the intersections of race, politics and popular culture—especially sports—within twentieth-century U.S. history. My courses include the Civil Rights Movement, the history of sports in the U.S., U.S. history since World War II, popular culture during wartime and historical methods.

Courses Taught

• BKST 200: Racism in American Culture and Society
• HIST 260: American History to 1865
• HIST 261: American History Since 1865
• HIST 359: History of Illinois
• HIST 363: U.S. Sport History
• HIST 391: History of the Black Athlete
• HIST 395: Historical Methods
• HIST 401: Third Clinical Secondary School Experience in History/Social Sciences
• HIST 465: Gilded Age and Progressive Era
• HIST 468: America Since 1960
• HIST 495: Senior Thesis
• HIST 496: History and Social Science Instruction for Secondary/Middle Grades Educators
• ILAS 201: Introductory Clinical Experience