{"product_id":"playing-to-the-end-elder-black-men-placemaking-and-dominoes-in-denver-9781496244963","title":"Playing to the End: Elder Black Men, Placemaking, and Dominoes in Denver","description":"In \u003ci\u003ePlaying to the End\u003c\/i\u003e, 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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. \u003ci\u003ePlaying to the End\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSteve Bialostok\u003c\/b\u003e is a professor of anthropology at the University of Wyoming. He is the coeditor of \u003ci\u003eEducation and the Risk Society: Theories, Discourse, and Risk Identities in Education Contexts\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of Nebraska Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51830465986834,"sku":"9781496244963","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_4f86c344-0d82-43ff-8398-cf8ebc101384.jpg?v=1767095150","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/playing-to-the-end-elder-black-men-placemaking-and-dominoes-in-denver-9781496244963","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}