In 1971, racial tensions were running high in Alexandria, Va., after three schools were integrated to form T.C. Williams High School and the Titan football team was created. At the center of the storm was Herman Boone.
photo by Julie Elliott-Abshire and used with permission
Boone, now retired, will talk about his experiences at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 24, in the Benes Rooms of Ohio Wesleyan University’s Hamilton-Williams Campus Center in Delaware, Ohio. The event, part of Ohio Wesleyan’s commemoration of Black History Month, is free and open to the public.
Boone, assistant coach of the former T.C. Williams High School football team, was named head coach of the Titans, passing over Bill Yoast, successful head coach of the former all-white Hammond High School.
The story of Boone, Yoast, and the Titans was the inspiration for Disney’s 2000 film, Remember the Titans, starring Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington. Through football, the coaches were able to help their community put aside their intolerance and join together in support of their children. The Titans became one of the best teams in Virginia, compiling a 13-0 record and winning the state championship.
As part of its Black History Month celebration, Ohio Wesleyan also will be hosting a Poetry Slam at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Bishop Café, located on the lower level of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center. Area poets and performers are invited to take part in this year’s annual event.
Also, the Rafiki Wa Afrika student group will host a fund-raising lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 26 to support the Ghana Student Education Fund. The event, held in the Benes Rooms of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, will feature authentic Caribbean and African food. Cost is $5 per person at the door, cash only.
Ohio Wesleyan’s Black History Month events are coordinated by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.
