"From the 1940s on into the '50s and '60s, the greatest basketball players in this country and many of the greatest coaches - were black. Problem was, hardly anybody knew it." Howie Evans, sports editor of the Amsterdam (N.Y.) News
There are certain historical facts the average college basketball fan doesn't know. Most have probably heard of Clarence "Big House'' Gaines of Winston-Salem State, who won 828 games between 1946-93.
But how many knew John McLendon, who won 523 games in 22 years at five different schools, was the first college coach to win three national championships (1957-59 at Tennessee State)?
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Showing posts with label Black Magic by Dan Klores. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Magic by Dan Klores. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Signs of times stay with Ben Jobe--Part II
Son of sharecropper says growing up in segregated South left plenty of scars
In his sunset years, Ben Jobe often thinks of his father. Much of what he became - and much of what he accomplished as an educator and basketball coach and valued counselor to hundreds of young black men during the Civil Rights Movement - goes back to the lessons he learned from an uneducated man with uncommon common sense.
"My father was a Tennessee sharecropper who couldn't read or write,'' said Jobe, the youngest of 15 children. "He always worked. He was a workaholic, and so was my mother. But they taught us things we'll never forget.''
One day the family was chopping cotton in rural Rutherford County. Ben, who was 7 or 8 years old at the time, looked up and saw a car passing on a dusty road. "Why do the white people got a car and we don't?'' he asked his father. "Why does Mr. Caldwell got a car and all we got is ol' Jake?''
CONTINUE READING, CLICK ON BLOG TITLE.
In his sunset years, Ben Jobe often thinks of his father. Much of what he became - and much of what he accomplished as an educator and basketball coach and valued counselor to hundreds of young black men during the Civil Rights Movement - goes back to the lessons he learned from an uneducated man with uncommon common sense.
"My father was a Tennessee sharecropper who couldn't read or write,'' said Jobe, the youngest of 15 children. "He always worked. He was a workaholic, and so was my mother. But they taught us things we'll never forget.''
One day the family was chopping cotton in rural Rutherford County. Ben, who was 7 or 8 years old at the time, looked up and saw a car passing on a dusty road. "Why do the white people got a car and we don't?'' he asked his father. "Why does Mr. Caldwell got a car and all we got is ol' Jake?''
CONTINUE READING, CLICK ON BLOG TITLE.
Ben Jobe helps tell forgotten story--Part I
Former Alabama A&M coach gives perspective to hoops during Civil Rights era
Dan Klores' initial idea was to do for basketball what famed filmmaker Ken Burns did for the Civil War and baseball.
"I was going to make the quintessential film on the history of basketball, starting with James Naismith and going right on up to the present day,'' said Klores, an acclaimed New York-based producer-director whose documentary topics included boxer Emile Griffith.
That was the plan.
"Then I got caught up in the forgotten story of basketball at the HBCUs - Historically Black Colleges and Universities - and how all that tied in with the Civil Rights Movement in the '60s, and that's when everything changed,'' said Klores
CONTINUE READING, CLICK ON BLOG TITLE.
Dan Klores' initial idea was to do for basketball what famed filmmaker Ken Burns did for the Civil War and baseball.
"I was going to make the quintessential film on the history of basketball, starting with James Naismith and going right on up to the present day,'' said Klores, an acclaimed New York-based producer-director whose documentary topics included boxer Emile Griffith.
That was the plan.
"Then I got caught up in the forgotten story of basketball at the HBCUs - Historically Black Colleges and Universities - and how all that tied in with the Civil Rights Movement in the '60s, and that's when everything changed,'' said Klores
CONTINUE READING, CLICK ON BLOG TITLE.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Bethune Cookman's Chaney part of 'Black Magic'
"BLACK MAGIC" IS ON ESPN AT 9 PM EDT TONIGHT AND MONDAY NIGHT.
John Chaney knows what it's like to be poor.
"People don't really understand poor," says the Hall of Fame basketball coach. "It doesn't mean you have something. It means you have nothing. You're working to make ends meet at all times, and yet there's always someone worse off."
Chaney knows what it's like to be a second-class citizen.
"In the South, when I was growing up, blacks were being arrested for vagrancy if they didn't have money in their pocket," he says. "So my mother always made sure I had a quarter on me."
Chaney knows what it's like to be slighted.
"In 1951, I was the best basketball player in Philadelphia, but I had no scholarship offers," he says. "There were only two schools in the city that had black athletes at the time -- La Salle and Temple. The others had no black basketball players on their teams."
Chaney's story is one of the threads that ties together Dan Klores' four-hour documentary, "Black Magic," which ESPN will air in two parts Sunday and Monday nights without commercial interruption.
CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE, CLICK ON BLOG TITLE.
John Chaney knows what it's like to be poor.
"People don't really understand poor," says the Hall of Fame basketball coach. "It doesn't mean you have something. It means you have nothing. You're working to make ends meet at all times, and yet there's always someone worse off."
Chaney knows what it's like to be a second-class citizen.
"In the South, when I was growing up, blacks were being arrested for vagrancy if they didn't have money in their pocket," he says. "So my mother always made sure I had a quarter on me."
Chaney knows what it's like to be slighted.
"In 1951, I was the best basketball player in Philadelphia, but I had no scholarship offers," he says. "There were only two schools in the city that had black athletes at the time -- La Salle and Temple. The others had no black basketball players on their teams."
Chaney's story is one of the threads that ties together Dan Klores' four-hour documentary, "Black Magic," which ESPN will air in two parts Sunday and Monday nights without commercial interruption.
CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE, CLICK ON BLOG TITLE.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Film on black colleges a slam dunk
"Black Magic," 8 p.m. CDT, Sunday and Monday, ESPN
Dan Klores stands 5-foot-9, weighs about a buck-seventy and is white.
His emotionally uplifting film, "Black Magic," is a neck-craning 7-feet tall, can jump out of Madison Square Garden and is Earl Lloyd black (but more on Earl later).
No, the Brooklyn-raised director of this captivating documentary - which details the triumphs and utter degradation experienced by the student athletes who played basketball at historically black colleges and universities - does not remotely resemble the protagonists of his heart-wrenching film.
Still, the words uttered by those he featured in this long-overdue project, produced in conjunction with ESPN, speak volumes.
"He literally saved my life," said former Southern University coach Ben Jobe, one of many captivating stories captured by Klores that slam back the glory days of college basketball at schools such as Winston-Salem State, Tennessee State and Morgan State.
CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE BY CLICKING ON BLOG TITLE.
This film is a tremendous Black History lesson and each of us need to make time to watch this documentary. Additional video footage is available by clicking this link: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blackhistory2008/index
Dan Klores stands 5-foot-9, weighs about a buck-seventy and is white.
His emotionally uplifting film, "Black Magic," is a neck-craning 7-feet tall, can jump out of Madison Square Garden and is Earl Lloyd black (but more on Earl later).
No, the Brooklyn-raised director of this captivating documentary - which details the triumphs and utter degradation experienced by the student athletes who played basketball at historically black colleges and universities - does not remotely resemble the protagonists of his heart-wrenching film.
Still, the words uttered by those he featured in this long-overdue project, produced in conjunction with ESPN, speak volumes.
"He literally saved my life," said former Southern University coach Ben Jobe, one of many captivating stories captured by Klores that slam back the glory days of college basketball at schools such as Winston-Salem State, Tennessee State and Morgan State.
CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE BY CLICKING ON BLOG TITLE.
This film is a tremendous Black History lesson and each of us need to make time to watch this documentary. Additional video footage is available by clicking this link: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blackhistory2008/index
Friday, February 15, 2008
Basketball's African American Pioneers
A forgotten ballplayer walked into a small reception room last week at the Reagan Building, had the privilege of meeting the famous Earl Monroe -- and promptly told the Pearl a story.
While Monroe was becoming NBA royalty in New York, Perry Wallace played for a pittance in the Eastern League, a basketball minor league, and moonlighted as a math teacher at the Pearl's Alma mater, Philadelphia's John Bartram High School.
CONTINUE READING THIS ENGAGING ARTICLE ON THE FILM "BLACK MAGIC."
Photo: Perry Wallace#25, during his playing days at Vanderbilt University.
Who is Perry Wallace? Here is a brief bio of this trail blazing pioneer...
Perry Wallace grew up in Nashville and played basketball and ran track for Pearl High School from 1963 to 1966. In 1966, Wallace's basketball team went 31-0 and won the TSSAA state basketball championship in the first year in history the tournament was played on an integrated basis.
Perry won All-Metro, All-State and All-American honors. He was valedictorian of his high school class. After high school, he enrolled as a scholarship athlete at Vanderbilt University where he would become the first black varsity basketball player in the SEC.
He led the team in rebounding each year with a career average of 11.5 per game (second best in school history). His average of 17.7 points per game still ranks as the 11th best average in Vanderbilt history. In his senior year, he was named to the All-SEC second team and became a member of the 1000-point club.
He graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Engineering and was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers. Over the years, he has received numerous awards for his efforts in integrating the SEC. Wallace was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Since graduation, Wallace received a law degree from Columbia University in New York where he was awarded the Charles Evans Hughes Fellowship and worked as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice. Perry is now a Professor of Law at the Washington College of Law, The American University, Washington, D.C.
While Monroe was becoming NBA royalty in New York, Perry Wallace played for a pittance in the Eastern League, a basketball minor league, and moonlighted as a math teacher at the Pearl's Alma mater, Philadelphia's John Bartram High School.
CONTINUE READING THIS ENGAGING ARTICLE ON THE FILM "BLACK MAGIC."
Photo: Perry Wallace#25, during his playing days at Vanderbilt University.Who is Perry Wallace? Here is a brief bio of this trail blazing pioneer...
Perry Wallace grew up in Nashville and played basketball and ran track for Pearl High School from 1963 to 1966. In 1966, Wallace's basketball team went 31-0 and won the TSSAA state basketball championship in the first year in history the tournament was played on an integrated basis.
Perry won All-Metro, All-State and All-American honors. He was valedictorian of his high school class. After high school, he enrolled as a scholarship athlete at Vanderbilt University where he would become the first black varsity basketball player in the SEC.
He led the team in rebounding each year with a career average of 11.5 per game (second best in school history). His average of 17.7 points per game still ranks as the 11th best average in Vanderbilt history. In his senior year, he was named to the All-SEC second team and became a member of the 1000-point club.
He graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Engineering and was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers. Over the years, he has received numerous awards for his efforts in integrating the SEC. Wallace was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Since graduation, Wallace received a law degree from Columbia University in New York where he was awarded the Charles Evans Hughes Fellowship and worked as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice. Perry is now a Professor of Law at the Washington College of Law, The American University, Washington, D.C.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
WSSU Hall of Famer-- Earl the Pearl's story to be told in film
Photo: Earl Monroe retired Winston Salem State University jersey, where he won a national championship with the Rams.Before Earl Monroe dazzled NBA fans with his flamboyant game, the Hall of Famer honed his skills at little Winston-Salem State University under the tutelage of legendary coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines.
The 6-3 guard's wizardry earned him several nicknames, including Earl the Pearl, Black Jesus and Thomas Edison — because of the moves he invented. Monroe, who averaged 41.7 points his senior year at WSSU, is one of the subjects of an upcoming film on historically black colleges and universities, "Black Magic."
CONTINUE READING THIS STORY BY CLICKING ON THE BLOG TITLE.
For you young college and high school students, you don't know beans about basketball unless you have watched Earl "The Pearl" Monroe shake and bake with Walt "Clyde" Frazier. These clips are no accident, but hall of fame material. You will enjoy watching them...
Thowback - Earl "Thomas Edison" Monroe
Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, Career Game Hightlights
Monday, February 4, 2008
A 'Magic' project: New documentary explores historic effect of black colleges on basketball, the NBA
DURHAM, N.C. – Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (www.fullframefest.org), has announced that it will host the world premiere of the theatrical cut of “Black Magic”, a documentary directed by award-winning filmmaker Dan Klores.
The premiere will be held Monday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Carolina Theatre, located at 309 W. Morgan St. in Durham. “Black Magic,” which will air in its entirety as a four-hour, two-part commercial-free series on ESPN in March 16-17, 2008, features two prominent North Carolina basketball legends, Winston-Salem State University graduate, Earl Monroe and North Carolina A&T State University graduate, Al Attles.
Klores, director of “Black Magic” and the 2007 critically acclaimed film festival hit “Crazy Love”, will join Attles and Monroe for a panel discussion following the screening to discuss the history that inspired the film. “Black Magic” tells the story of the injustice that defined the Civil Rights Movement in America through the lives of basketball players and coaches who attended historically black colleges and universities. The film features interviews with Basketball Hall of Fame honoree Willis Reed; Earl Lloyd, the first black athlete to ever play in an NBA game, as well as John Chaney, retired basketball coach of Temple University. Other notable interviewees include Ben Wallace, Charles Oakley and Avery Johnson.
Individual tickets for the “Black Magic” World Premiere and panel discussion are $12 and may be purchased at the event or by visiting the Box Office at www.fullframefest.org. Tickets for both the pre-screening party and film are available to Full Frame members for $35 and $50 for non-members. The 2008 Festival Preview Benefit — "Black Magic" world premiere is sponsored by Duke University Office of the Provost, the Visiting Artist Fund of the Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies at Duke University, North Carolina Central University and the City of Durham.
About Black Magic:
Directed by award-winning director Dan Klores and in collaboration with ESPN Original Entertainment and Shoot the Moon Productions, “Black Magic” is a new four-hour, two-part film scheduled to air commercial-free on ESPN in March 2008. The film will make its world premiere at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival on Monday, Feb 11. “Black Magic” is a story of the injustice that defines the Civil Rights Movement in America, told through the lives of basketball players and coaches who attended historically black colleges and universities.
The film is produced by basketball legend and Winston-Salem State University graduate, Earl Monroe, and narrated by Wynton Marsalis, Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Paul.
Feature interviews include Willis Reed, Avery Johnson, Ben Wallace, John Chaney, Bob Love, Al Attles, Pee Wee Kirkland, Earl Lloyd, Dick Barnett, Woody Sauldsberry, Cleo Hill, Bob Dandridge, Sonny Hill, Perry Wallace, Dave Robbins, Harold Hunter, Charles Oakley, Donnie Walsh, Bobby Cremins, Howie Evens, the widows of coaches Clarence “Big House” Gaines and John McLendon, and historians Skip Gates, Cleveland Sellers and Milton Katz.
TO READ NEWSPAPER SHORT VERSION OF MOVIE, CLICK ON BLOG TITLE.
The premiere will be held Monday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Carolina Theatre, located at 309 W. Morgan St. in Durham. “Black Magic,” which will air in its entirety as a four-hour, two-part commercial-free series on ESPN in March 16-17, 2008, features two prominent North Carolina basketball legends, Winston-Salem State University graduate, Earl Monroe and North Carolina A&T State University graduate, Al Attles.
Klores, director of “Black Magic” and the 2007 critically acclaimed film festival hit “Crazy Love”, will join Attles and Monroe for a panel discussion following the screening to discuss the history that inspired the film. “Black Magic” tells the story of the injustice that defined the Civil Rights Movement in America through the lives of basketball players and coaches who attended historically black colleges and universities. The film features interviews with Basketball Hall of Fame honoree Willis Reed; Earl Lloyd, the first black athlete to ever play in an NBA game, as well as John Chaney, retired basketball coach of Temple University. Other notable interviewees include Ben Wallace, Charles Oakley and Avery Johnson.
Individual tickets for the “Black Magic” World Premiere and panel discussion are $12 and may be purchased at the event or by visiting the Box Office at www.fullframefest.org. Tickets for both the pre-screening party and film are available to Full Frame members for $35 and $50 for non-members. The 2008 Festival Preview Benefit — "Black Magic" world premiere is sponsored by Duke University Office of the Provost, the Visiting Artist Fund of the Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies at Duke University, North Carolina Central University and the City of Durham.
About Black Magic:
Directed by award-winning director Dan Klores and in collaboration with ESPN Original Entertainment and Shoot the Moon Productions, “Black Magic” is a new four-hour, two-part film scheduled to air commercial-free on ESPN in March 2008. The film will make its world premiere at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival on Monday, Feb 11. “Black Magic” is a story of the injustice that defines the Civil Rights Movement in America, told through the lives of basketball players and coaches who attended historically black colleges and universities.
The film is produced by basketball legend and Winston-Salem State University graduate, Earl Monroe, and narrated by Wynton Marsalis, Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Paul.
Feature interviews include Willis Reed, Avery Johnson, Ben Wallace, John Chaney, Bob Love, Al Attles, Pee Wee Kirkland, Earl Lloyd, Dick Barnett, Woody Sauldsberry, Cleo Hill, Bob Dandridge, Sonny Hill, Perry Wallace, Dave Robbins, Harold Hunter, Charles Oakley, Donnie Walsh, Bobby Cremins, Howie Evens, the widows of coaches Clarence “Big House” Gaines and John McLendon, and historians Skip Gates, Cleveland Sellers and Milton Katz.
TO READ NEWSPAPER SHORT VERSION OF MOVIE, CLICK ON BLOG TITLE.
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