Playing to the End
Elder Black Men, Placemaking, and Dominoes in Denver
Series: Anthropology of Contemporary North America;
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Product details:
- Publisher University of Nebraska Press
- Date of Publication 1 January 2026
- Number of Volumes Trade Paperback
- ISBN 9781496244963
- Binding Paperback
- No. of pages246 pages
- Size 229x152 mm
- Weight 372 g
- Language English 684
Categories
Long description:
In Playing to the End, Steve Bialostok immerses readers in the vibrant world of the card room at Denver’s Hiawatha Davis Jr. Recreation Center, where a group of older Black men gather to play dominoes, exchange playful banter known as “talking shit,” and cultivate a space of belonging. More than just a game, their gatherings are acts of Black placemaking – resisting cultural erasure, gentrification, and societal marginalization while fostering joy, resilience, and community.
Through five years of ethnographic study, Bialostok reveals how these men transform the card room into a sanctuary of identity and defiance, where humor and camaraderie become tools of self-determination. As they navigate the pressures of a changing neighborhood, their interactions affirm the power of play, talk, and collective memory in sustaining Black spaces. Playing to the End is a compelling testament to the significance of these gatherings and the ongoing struggle for autonomy, cultural affirmation, and social connection in an inequitable world.
Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Notes on Transcription
1. Beginnings
2. Denver’s History of Racism and Segregation
3. Charles Hall
4. Northeast Park Hill and the Struggle to Maintain Black Place
5. Robert Taylor
6. Birth and Evolution of a Black Social and Cultural Nexus
7. Herman Carr
8. Talking Shit inside the Card Room
9. Buford Yarborough
10. The Business of Intimacy
11. D-Ray Edwards
12. Endings
Notes
Bibliography
Index
