First published in 1902, ‘The Sport of the Gods’ is a fiction novel by Paul Laurence Dunbar. 
The story is about the Hamilton family, who is forced to leave their home in the South and move to the slums of New York City. The novel is significant for being one of the first to examine the harsh conditions faced by African Americans in inner cities. 
Paul Laurence Dunbar is most well known as a poet, but he also wrote five novels, four short story collections, and a play, as well as lyrics for the musical ‘
In Dahomey’.