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Chapter 3: ‘An unsung hero:’ The story of Tarzan Brown

Ellison "Tarzan" Brown's victory at the 1939 Boston Marathon is seen as a turning point in the visibility and official recognition of New England's Native people.
Courtesy of the Boston Public Library
/
Leslie Jones Collection
Ellison "Tarzan" Brown's victory at the 1939 Boston Marathon is seen as a turning point in the visibility and official recognition of New England's Native people.

In the 1930s, runner Tarzan Brown twice won the Boston Marathon – and carried the Narragansett tribe’s name out of obscurity and onto a global stage. “He was like an unsung hero for a long time,” his granddaughter says. “It’s just good to see him get the recognition he deserves.” In Chapter 3 of “Still Here,” discover how Brown put his tribe back on the map through endurance running, a tradition that goes back centuries in Native American cultures.

Click here to learn more, including videos, photos and digital stories.

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Diane Orson is a special correspondent with Connecticut Public and a contributing reporter to National Public Radio. Her stories have been heard on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, and The World from PRX. She spent seven years as CT Public’s local host for Morning Edition.