Fifty years ago, the Crispus Attucks’ Tigers of Indianapolis won the state basketball tournament. It was the first time — anywhere in the nation — that an all-Black school won an open basketball tournament. In basketball-hungry Indiana, it represented a sea change:
For almost three decades Crispus Attucks High School quietly went about its business, serving as Indianapolis’ segregated black high school.
Opened in 1927, Attucks produced mechanics, tailors and stenographers, doctors, lawyers, judges, professors, musicians, military officers and politicians. It was a source of pride for the black community, a center for social activities.
Most of Indianapolis hardly noticed.
That is, until March 19, 1955, when Attucks accomplished what every high school in the state of Indiana dreams of.
Honoring a segregated school for winning a sports tournament seems a bit like missing the lake for the water; the school was segregated, after all. That should be the lede.
In diverting your gaze to the bigger picture, however, don’t miss the nuances in the focused field. This was admittedly a small step. But, in an existence made up almost exclusively of small steps, the small steps — however imperfect — also deserve your attention. This was one.
Do they eat basketballs in Indianapolis? Yeah, yeah.
Interesting bit of history.
Do they eat basketballs in Indianapolis? Yeah, yeah.
Actually, they do.
On a completely unrelated note, Indianapolis is running a competition to develop a new marketing slogan for the city. My favorite so far (roughly): “Indianapolis: Small enough to know you, large enough to kill you.”
Heh. I like it. Home of the nation’s most schizoid college campus is just a little too much of a headscratcher.
IUPUI, for those of you that are confused.
Geez, I always thought that my alma mater (CWRU) had that honor, but IUPUI may have it beat.
Indianan Universeral Polytechnic University of Indiana?
Indiana University / Purdue University. Cats and dogs, living together. As far as the basketball thing goes, I was worried that when we rolled out our state quarter, it would feature and Indy car driver eating an ear of corn and dribbling a basketball while doing laps at the motorspeedway. Turns out I was only half right.