JOURNEY OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN ATHLETE, THE: THE SPIRIT TO SUCCEED: 1950-PRESENT {PART 2 OF 2} (TV)
Summary
Continued from T:42741. This sports documentary examines black athletes' remarkable achievements on and off the field, from the post-Civil War era to the present. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, this program features interviews and comments from athletes and prominent community members, along with footage of the athletes.
In part two, topics and personalities covered include the following, among others: Althea Gibson's elimination of segregation in tennis; Gibson's former coach Sidney Llewelyn, former American Tennis Association (ATA) player Arvella Myers, and sports journalist Bud Collins on how Gibson received her deserved shot from an ally in the all-white tennis community; former U.S. Ladies Tennis Association player Louise Brough on Gibson's struggle to play on the grass court tennis circuit; Dick Schaap on how golf was considered to be integrated since white golfers used black caddies; George Simpkins, president of the NAACP Greensboro chapter, and Maggie Hathaway, chairperson of the Minority Associated Golfers, on the struggles of black golfers, especially Charlie Sifford, the first black player in the PGA tour; 1952/1956 Olympic medalist Mae Faggs and Ed Temple, head coach of women's track at Tennessee State, on how Wilma Rudolph created opportunities for female athletes; Rudolph's use of her status to advance race relations; former Cleveland Browns player Jim Brown and former Boston Celtics player Bill Russell as catalysts toward avoiding black athletes as tokens; former Boston Celtic player Tom "Satch" Sanders on Russell as an impressive athlete and person; former Cincinatti Royals and Milwaukee Bucks player Oscar Robertson, former Boston Celtics players Don Chaney and K.C. Jones, and former Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins player Bobby Mitchell on how Russell assumed his role as first black head coach in the NBA; sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards on how Muhammad Ali demanded recognition and respect through his talent and outspoken personality; the way Ali fused the civil rights and anti-war movements with his refusal to be inducted into the U.S. Army; former St. Louis Cardinals player Curt Flood and 1964/1968 Olympic gold medalist Wyomia Tyus on how the mood of the 1960s did not support the civil rights struggles of black athletes; 1960/1964/1968 Olympic medalist Ralph Boston on the stunning protest at the medal stand by runners Tommie Smith and John Carlos in the Mexico City games of 1968; changes in the face of sports during the 1970s; the way Flood's challenge of the baseball reserve clause helped all future athletes exert control over their careers; former Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians player Frank Robinson, and former Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves player Hank Aaron on their fellow athletes' mixed reactions to Flood's courageous anti-establishment stance; the way Aaron's role in baseball history was clouded by racism; changes in the outlook of baseball management through Robinson's role as the first black manager; tennis player Arthur Ashe's use of his fame to educate black youths; 1984 Olympic gold medalist Cheryl Miller on how athletes began to express their heritage on the field; former Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and sports journalist Peter Vecsey on the importance of Harlem's legendary Rucker Tournament to the playing style of black basketball players; players Richard "Pee Wee" Kirkland and Joe Hammond on how Julius Erving became the most-watched person to ever participate in the Rucker games; the way O.J. Simpson meshed his personality and athletic prowess into commercial stardom; Womens' Tennis Association player Zina Garrison-Jackson on the absence of endorsement opportunities for black female athletes; and Michael Jordan's escalation of the profile of black athletes to a new level.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: February 19, 1996 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:03:34
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:42742
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries; Sports
- SUBJECT HEADING: Baseball; Basketball; Golf; Race relations; Segregation; Tennis; U S - Civil rights; African-American Collection - Sports
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV, 1996
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ross Greenburg … Executive Producer
- Kendall Bridges Reid … Coordinating Producer
- Rick Bernstein … Senior Producer
- Leslie D. Farrell … Producer
- Paul H. Hutchinson … Producer
- Kendall Bridges Reid … Producer
- Denise A. Greene … Associate Producer
- James E. Reynolds … Researcher
- William C. Rhoden … Writer
- Michael Logan … Music by, Opening music performed by
- Ramsey Lewis … Composer
- Frane Lewis … Composer
- Samuel L. Jackson … Narrator
- Bob Kaliban … Narrator
- Cookie Ruffino … Narrator
- David Langston Smyrl … Narrator
- Hank Aaron
- Ali, Muhammad (See also: Clay, Cassius)
- Arthur Ashe
- Ralph Boston
- Louise Brough
- Jim Brown
- John Carlos
- Don Chaney
- Bud Collins
- Harry Edwards
- Julius Erving
- Mae Faggs
- Curt Flood
- Althea Gibson
- Joe Hammond
- Maggie Hathaway
- Kareem Abdul Jabbar
- Zina Garrison Jackson
- K.C. Jones
- Michael Jordan
- Kirkland, Richard "Pee Wee"
- Sidney Llewelyn
- Cheryl Miller
- Bobby Mitchell
- Isaac Murphy
- Arvella Myers
- Oscar Robertson
- Frank Robinson
- Jackie Robinson
- Bill Russell
- Sanders, Tom "Satch"
- Dick Schaap
- Charlie Sifford
- O.J. Simpson
- Tommie Smith
- Ed Temple
- Wyomia Tyus
- Peter Vecsey