A fascinating—and forgotten—chapter from the civil rights movement. A Mississippi state basketball team defies a court order meant to prevent them from playing against a racially integrated team in a state championship—the story involves getaway cars, university officials fleeing the state, and coaches taking backroads to get out of Mississippi. Read it.
UPDATE: So, like, riding my bike down to KUOW… it occurred to me that this story—white basketball team defies bigoted state officials and helps break down color barrier in college sports—will inevitably be made into a film. Screenwriters and studio heads all over LA are probably reading this detail right now and itching to get it on film:
After losing to Loyola, Mississippi State defeated Bowling Green in a consolation game. After the final buzzer, Mitchell shook hands with Nate Thurmond, Bowling Green’s star player, who later excelled in the N.B.A.—and who is black. That interracial handshake drew considerable attention. Today such handshakes are an accepted part of the game’s mosaic.
Sigh.
Do we need another film along the lines of Mississippi Burning or Hairspray or The Help, i.e. a film in which white people are the true and unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Movement? We don’t. It’s a great story, really fascinating, but the world doesn’t need another film about Noble White Folks. How about a film about this guy instead?