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Breaking the Line: Sports as a Catalyst for Social Change
- Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - Thursday, October 24, 2013
- Time: 11:00 pm
- Location: William G. McGowan Theater
During the 1960s, sports played a significant role in the American Civil Rights Movement. Football coaches and players at historically black colleges and universities led the push for racial equality in sports. Samuel G. Freedman, author of Breaking the Line: The Season in Black College Football That Transformed the Sport and Changed the Course of Civil Rights, will moderate a panel including former NFL players James Harris and R. C. Gamble, as well as Michael Hurd, sports writer and co-founder of the Black College Football Museum. The panel will discusses the efforts of these coaches and players to prove the intellectual acumen of African Americans at a time when the prevailing prejudice said that blacks were not smart enough to be successful at the game.
A book signing and reception will follow the program.
The Foundation for the National Archives is proud to sponsor this free public program and reception, through the generous support of the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, Inc. and an anonymous donor.
