Glory Road is a movie about how an underdog overcame the best college basketball team in the nation. Prior to the 1965-66 NCAA basketball season, Texas Western’s head coach, Don Haskins, recruited a team with majority black players. This team went on to finish with a record of 23-1 before entering the 1966 NCAA tournament. Texas Western then beat the top ranked, all-white Kentucky Wildcats in one of the most surprising and inspirational upsets in tournament history.
This movie can be viewed from two angles, a basketball story, and/or institutional racism. In the 1960s, the Civil Rights movement was in full stride as America pushed for change. However, there were still unbelievable laws and racism that targeted minorities. In the film, there were many accounts of racism including Don Haskins receiving death threats, a Texas Western player beat, and vandalism of their locker room. There were clear intentions in all of these incidents, but the players showed true determination on the court.
Before each season, coaches were usually just recruiting white kids as it was frowned upon to let a black player play for their school. This gave black players with a similar skill set almost no chance to ever get to play at the collegiate level.
The Civil Rights movement which featured one of the most significant advancements and change in United States history did not happen too long ago. There are still millions of Americans alive today that experienced and remember those events. It took decades of change to get to where we are today.
In this class, we read Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail which detailed his viewpoint of the Civil Rights’ events. This letter was really important because we were able to see both sides to the argument. We also wrote and analyzed multiple examples of systemic injustice. The film “Glory Road” showcased another example of systemic injustice. Admiringly, the players were able to overcome this and win a national championship.