I want you to see this film. The basketball game highlights alone are spectacular, and include some footage so rare that I was astonished at its existence.
I was in New York City yesterday to view an advance screening of a new ESPN documentary film tentatively titled “Black Magic,” which looks at the injustices that spawned the Civil Rights Movement, as told through the lives of basketball players and coaches who attended Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
I want you to see this film.
First, some background. This past August, ESPN announced a bunch of upcoming projects they were working on, to be produced by the network’s “Content Development” arm. The problem: ESPN viewers on average tune in for only about 18 minutes per day. The solution: Televise more documentaries so viewers stay longer.
One of the first of these is “Black Magic,” a four-hour documentary film that’s a collaboration between ESPN and award-winning director Dan Klores, through his Shoot the Moon Productions film company. NBA legend Earl Monroe is co-producer. The film will premiere on ESPN in March 2008.
“It’s a living history of sports and culture that invites a broader discussion about race, society and how we think about modern day athletes and sports,” said ESPN executive vice president John Skipper.
Being there was a privilege, so I won’t give away concrete facts. But I want to share my enthusiasm. It’s a basketball film that features interviews with some of the biggest names in the game, including many (many) Hall of Famers. The game highlights alone are spectacular, and include some footage so rare that I was astonished at its existence. The interviews are rare and compelling, and some were so poignant that I was saying to myself, “I want my kids to see this.”
It’s also a Civil Rights Movement review, but steers away from overused newsreel footage and therefore has educational value of its own just from that.
“This is a story of injustice, refuge and joy,” said Klores. “It’s an epic that has not been told.”
The film is in “rough cut” form — not completely finished, especially the ending. But Klores succeeds in interweaving his messages so well that it left me wanting to see how it ends.
Meanwhile, from what I can tell, this film is getting what I call “front row treatment” by ESPN. They are going all out and according to one executive I spoke with there, it is being treated as “an event.” Considering the time slots they are planning, I would say that’s an understatement.
Finally, what’s in it for me? Why do I want you to see it?
Well, aside from its educational and inspirational value, this film brings more interest to the entire genre of black basketball history. Therefore, I want the film to shatter ESPN’s own goals as well as those of its advertisers and sponsors, who, if they are happy with the ratings that “Black Magic” achieves, will come back to ESPN asking, “Whatchu got next?” When they do, I want ESPN (or some other leading outlet) to say, “Black Fives!”
Get it?
(I’ll share developments about our Black Fives documentary film project some other time.)
(Photo of Earl Monroe and Clarance “Bighouse” Gaines courtesy of the Winston-Salem State University Archives.)
Please donate. Your generous tax-deductible donation helps the Black Fives Foundation use this history to teach life lessons relevant today! Thank you!
I hadn’t heard of this project. Thanks for the heads up!
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I saw a screening tonight. It was amazing. Especially the story line and how they incorporate how life was outside of basketball. As an alumni of an HBCU, North Carolina A&T, it make me rethink the entire collegiate sports dept. We thrive on things like Homecoming and take for granted all the things that it took for the people before us, in order for things to be so easy for us today. I think this documentary should be shown at college campuses across the country. Not only at HBCU’s
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Eb, welcome and thanks. I understand that ESPN is going to provide the film to all HBCU’s, without the usual fee, in order to help with fund raising efforts. Also, they are going to broadcast the film in a great time slot and without commercial interruption. This is getting very special treatment. One of ESPN’s executive producers told me that the reason they’re taking this approach is because the subject matter is so important.
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[...] Lloyd is so cool in the upcoming ESPN documentary film Black Magic. Not so much in the information he shares as much as how his personality comes [...]
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Great. So ESPN has now succumbed to the politically correct non-sense that America and it’s entire history is the story of evil White racists oppressing everyone. Doesn’t this stuff belong on PBS with the endless Ken Burns documentaries on the same subject- telling us how great Black heavy weight boxer Jack Johnson was for marrying White prostitutes and beating down White boxing challengers?
Hey folks, I got news for you. Black NBA basketball players are not “oppressed” people – they are and have been very well paid, privileged people, very lucky to have lived, prospered in America – an America that is so hated by these lying PC marxists.
Wasn’t Magic Johnson a consultant on this film? How is Magic Johnson an oppressed victim of evil White racists?
ESPN should be about sports, not pushing lying revisionist hate Whitey history.
If ESPN or any other network wants to look at the injustice done to Black college basketball players, they examine the terrible exploitation of Black college basketball players who get
NO EDUCATION AT COLLEGE
Most don’t graduate, those that do, few have any real skills. Back in the bad old days of the 50s and 60s, Black College basketball players were forced to go to class and take real college courses. Oscar Robertson and Kareem came out of college knowing how to read, write, had some knowledge of geography, history and not this PC crap.
What’s next? Will ESPN do a hard hitting documentary on the evil White racist Duke Lacrosse team that supposedly raped and tortured poor Black women? Will lying race hustlers like Jessie Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton become highly paid ESPN “Diversity” consultants?
Hey ESPN – get back to covering real sports and leave the lying PC BS to PBS…. lots of BS on PBS and now also on ESPN.
Have a nice day folks.
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Glad to see you’re promoting this valuable message. Don’t listen to the Klansmen (the message above this one) to keep you from telling a story, even your story or the story of African American basketball players from HBCUs. Whoever promotes the ideology in the message above mine is a moron, and their poorly articulated race riot proves this. I’m glad to view information about this valuable historical resource. Keep spreading the message that even though the U.S.A. can inspire some great ideas (like freedom of speech that lets John Robinson type his meaningless drivel), they also can give birth to injustice, like that of the racial variety supported by John Robinson. All of the rest of us will be better off in the end because of it.
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If anyone’s interested, I wrote a lengthy response to John Robinson’s comment above and posted it here.
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You’ve obviously missed the point in a big way. Black Magic is a documentary about the history of basketball in this country. Facts that have been documented & confirmed. You have the option to not watch what doesn’t interest you. You do not, however have the right to dictate what a great many other viewers choose to watch on any given network… Thank God for that… Freedom of Speech is a wonderful thing. Try to gently remove that huge chip from your shoulder. I imagine it must be quite heavy & perhaps the strain of it all has affected your ability to demonstrate any hint of intelligence and /or humanity.
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Hey Jared Rutecki, thanks for your comment. On a lighter note, I couldn’t stop laughing at your ESPN Censorship post. You’d never be able to draft baseball Hall of Fame member Cum Posey under their watch.
Will Yates, your post and its complete breakdown (shakedown!) of the John Robinson comment is excellent and there’s not much more anyone could add to it. It’s great! Robinson is obviously struggling to catch up to the new century. I think that posts like yours will help people like him, who IMO can’t quite put a finger on why they’re so angry.
matt dillon thank you for your comment. You’re a compassionate soul!
Here’s to you, Mr. Robinson. This is obviously not your neighborhood but you’re still welcome to come back any time.
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[...] reformed drug pusher and basketball legend Pee Wee Kirkland, who is featured in the ESPN film Black Magic which aired last night, has a master’s degree in human services from [...]
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This documentary makes me wonder why black families don’t send their elite young athletes to HBCUs. An influx of great athletes would give black colleges tremendous wealth, power and prestige. As the black educational institutions grow stronger it would empower and facilitate the hiring of black coaches, black athletic directors, black professors and black university administrators. Blacks continue to allow their best and brightest athletes to further enrich white universities instead of building up their own institutions.
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All I wanna know is WHERE CAN I GET THE DVD!!!!!!! I feel soooooo much pride and awwwwwhhhh…
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John Robinson – I am a Duke alum and a former athlete at Duke. And I am as disappointed as can be in the Duke lacrosse incident. A school should in large part be measured by how it treats its students – and Duke did not treat its students well. But this film is excellent, and more than anything it shows the absolute dignity and class of this group of men, who suffered from horrible discrimination, in expressing themselves by working at the game they loved. And while I don’t agree with your views – I will say that far more young people – but particularly young black men, should pay attention to black history in this country, and in so doing, remember that the tremendous sacrifices these men made in the name of equal opportunity. What really stands out too is that these men don’t act like victims – even though they really did suffer awful discrimination.
There are so many gems to this film they really can’t be described. But a few things standout – one gets the feeling that if Ben Jobe was ever permitted to coach at a big integrated state university, he, and not Bob Knight would be sitting atop the win column. His whole demeanor struck me as one who could coach in any generation. And Dick Barnett – the Superfly of the Knicks – today? A PhD in education from Fordham. I used to be fixated by Barnett’s crazy jump shot and goofy demeanor – what an uplifting thing to learn that he cared so much about his education. And Bob Love, who I watched as a kid on WGN in Chicago, who literally learned to speak in his 40′s. And even the interviews with Clarence “Big House” Gaines wife Clara (Gaines being Earl the Pearl’s coach at Winston Salem State), who comes across as the most gracious, polite, and mannered Southern lady you would ever want to meet, are just magic.
If you meant to say that we live in an era where education is not sufficiently appreciated – amongst all races – you likely have a point. But this film ought to be required watching for young people. It is not only a great teacher of the civil rights era, it bespeaks to the importance of dignity and perseverance. Really, whatever its minor flaws, the film, and especially one produced by a sports channel, is one of the best of its kind – right up there with Bud Greenspan’s series on the Olympics.
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BlackMagic is a fabulous documentary that tells a story far too many people don’t know but should know! ESPN has supported the creation of an important collection of information about HBCUs, their coaches and students. I teach high school in a small town in the Midwest and this documentary is one I will recommend to all my students. In fact, when ESPN begins selling the DVD, I believe many schools will choose to include it in their documentary collections. It does present a poignant view of the ugliness of racism, but, more importantly, it provides an inspirational view of people who never gave up on their dreams. Young people, no matter their background, color or culture, can find some amazing role models in the men presented in BlackMagic.
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This was an amazing documentary. As a basketball coach for nearly 20 years, this touched me in many ways. Do a search on “John McLendon” or “Ben Jobe” and you’ll see how little information there is out there about these great coaches of the game. Both are truly pioneers, and people to be revered as much as the greatest coaches in the history of basketball. And nobody knows who they are. Heck, I didn’t know who they were before this documentary, so when the directors and producers say this is an untold story, you better believe it is.
Man, I wish that ESPN would do a whole series on the great coaches of the game, their history, their stories. They have so much knowledge and have given so much to so many. To coach Ben Jobe, who was featured prominently in this piece, you are truly an inspiration, sir. You belong in the Basketball Hall of Fame, for all that you’ve done for the game.
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Black Magic was a facinating and well done documentary. As a young white man growing up in North Carolina in the 70′s, my attention was focused on the ACC teams. I had NBA trading cards and saw Bob Love, Bill Dandridge and Earl Monroe play in the NBA but had little awareness of the great tradition of North Carolina Central, Winston-Salem State or N.C. A&T. While a student at UNC in the early ’80′s I met Big House Gaine’s son, “Little House” and after moving to Winston-Salem learned moreabout the great teams at WSSU with Earl Monroe and coach Gaines’ 800 wins. This film filled in a lot of the gaps in my knowledge. The documentary was filled with alot of great footage. The Earl Monroe highlights were just as entertaining as any Michael Jordan footage. That may sound like hyperbole but I was at UNC all three yearrs MJ attended and don’t think I’ve overstated the case. The film seemed to deal with the racial issues fairly. I was not aware of the Orangburg riot, and give the producer credit for airing not only the views of the arrested South Carolina State student but also the statement of the governor of South Carolina. It dealt not only with the racism confronting the african american players and coaches, but also the reverse discrimination faced by the caucasion coach of Virginia Union. The stories of Bob Love and his speech impediment was moving and inspirational. All in all a very entertaining film both from the sports perspective but also from the historical perspective. I’m glad ESPN includes this type of programming.
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[...] who watched the ESPN film Black Magic, then apparently did a Google search in which they found this review I wrote about it back in October: Thank you, sir, for your time and dedication to task weaving together Black [...]
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I Can’t believe that after all these years, I saw willis Reed come down that isle in the garden, Walk on the court and take control against the Lakers, Scoring only FOUR points ???… I’ve always thought he had scored a hundred. damn, all he had to do was show up.
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I want to thank Claude for the somewhat courteous post. Claude says:
“Here’s to you, Mr. Robinson. This is obviously not your neighborhood but you’re still welcome to come back any time.”
Well, the truth is this is pretty close to my neighborhood. I am getting ready to move back to my South Side of Chicago University neighborhood and yeah, maybe I am a little bit cranky having watched the lunatic, crazed sermons by my neighbor Jeremiah Wright of Trinity Church of God where he blames evil rich White people for all the problems in the world, thinks 9/11/01 was just retribution for the actions of evil White people and the right Reverend Wright now is pushing an Afro centric Theology position that the New Testament Gospel is the story of Jesus Christ – a poor Black man being oppressed by evil rich, White Europeans – Italians THE ROMANS who supposedly controlled everything then and now!
OK, so this is what I have to live with as I ride the CTA bus around my home town and get more than a few evil looks accusing me of being like those White, Blue eyed devils that ESPN said were oppressing Black college basketball players back then.
:-)
Truth is, I liked the Black exploitation, hate Whitey movies of the 70s – Superfly, Shaft, Trouble Man better than these preachy, Ken Burns style documentaries about America’s evil racist past. At least the Black Exploitation, Hate Whitey movies of the 70s had better music and some good looking chicks (White and Black). Pam Grier was good and the music of Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gay (Trouble man) excellent.
Sorry folks for giving a few negative reviews, but the right Rev. Jeremiah Wright and his Afrocentric, liberation theology complete with a Black Jesus oppressed by evil rich White Italians – the Romans, this has put me a bit off today.
:-) Take care everyone
And I am being honest, thanks for accepting my posts. I once loved college and NBA Basketball – I was a very good player, but not as good as Dominique Wilkens. I can still drink a pitcher of beer and make better free-throw percentage than Shaq and yeah, I root for Greece, Serbia and Argentina against the current crop of spoiled, criminal NBA thugs who can’t shoot anymore, can’t do a hook shot or bank shot, travel on just about every play – all they can do is dunk. College basketball and even the pros should abolish the dunk shot, this was done once before ~ 1967 and it turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to Kareem – THE SKY HOOK.
Peace.
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To Duke Alum who says:
“And Bob Love, who I watched as a kid on WGN in Chicago, who literally learned to speak in his 40’s.”
The Chicago Bulls in the 70s were my favorite NBA team of all time. Yes, we had the great Butter Bean Bob Love and Chet Walker – smooth silky forwards/operatives. Other than that, our team was all hustle, team defense, I don’t know how we ever scored over 80 points a game – Jerry Sloan as a player was perhaps the greatest defensive guard in the NBA – up there with the Lakers’ Michael Cooper.
My 70s Bulls almost made it to the NBA finals a couple of times, the worst was when the Bulls ran out of gas against Rick Barry’s Golden State warriors. We lost in 7 games and the 7th game was one of the most painful losses in Chicago sports history, up there with the many Cub collapses.
The 70s Bulls were very racially integrated, I don’t remember much tension, though later Chet Walker tried to go West, make it in Hollywood producing Black focuses movies and didn’t do well, blamed White racism.
For you folks who like to do documentaries about racial relations and sports (that seems to be the only subject on PBS and now ESPN), you might consider doing a documentary on the championship Golden State Warriors who beat the Bulls that year, then when on to sweep the heavily favored Washington Bullets.
The Goldenstate Warriors were an all Black African American team, the lone exception was the White Rick Barry who was also the start of the team and for some strange reason (Rick Barry was really, really good – I think the best all around White NBA player ever) the Black African American players gave up the ball most of the time to Rick Barry and pretty much treated him like Michael Jordan was treated on the championship Bulls teams 20 years later.
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This is a message to all who disagree with the showing of the Black Magic Documentary. I am 67 year old black American who has actually lived through the period worse of Racial Discrimination. In my home town of Tunica, Mississippi there was no high school for Black Students until 1954. My older siblings had to travel to Arkansas and Tennessee in order to go to high school. Dispite of the obstacles all 14 of us achieved At lease a high school education. I finished high school, served in the military, served in Viet Nam, went to college and became a very successful professional. This is an impossible outcome for a former Sharecropper who worked for 30 cent an hour, but I am living proof what one can achieve if he has enough drive and determination.
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That was a very positive, interesting, personal story Bill Johnson. You have led an interesting, successful American life. And yes you are right to credit yourself, your drive and determination. And you succeeded in America…. and maybe America isn’t the most “evil”, “terrible”, “oppressive” country that Hollywood, PBS and ESPN often say it is/was.
I bet you met some nice, decent Americans of different backgrounds through your life… maybe even some nice, decent White Americans. Maybe PBS or ESPN will feature a few decent White Americans in some future documentary… well, maybe not.
:-)
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@ John Robinson:
I have to butt in right here. I almost didn’t want to say anything, because I could have stated the obvious by just saying nothing. But I can’t help it; I have a few questions.
Don’t you realize that there were no documentaries or even television shows about black people until a few years ago? The first prime time television show that depicted black history was “Roots,” which was exactly 30 years ago. Don’t you own a television? Don’t you watch it? What’s on? What kinds of documentaries do you see? Do you see any? Have you checked ESPN lately? HBO Sports? The last few documentaries that ESPN aired were about white surfers, X Games, and one called “Ultimate NASCAR.” Not to mention endless coverage of the Manning family, Tom Brady, and Bobby Knight, just for starters. HBO has one on right now about John Wooden and the UCLA dynasty, not to mention this new epic movie-series they’re doing called “John Adams.” You may have heard of him. Founding Father. I think he was white. And I’m pretty sure he was decent.
I was letting you go with your comments, to see where you were heading, but it’s clear that you don’t know where you’re going and you don’t even know where you’ve been, judging from your comments.
So, I have to ask: What planet do you live on? What world do you see? The rest of us live somewhere else. You definitely are on your own in that neighborhood.
By twisting things all up, you exhibit the very thing that’s holding our country back from being as great as it can be.
But I’m fascinated by your pathology. And you can certainly put more specimens of yourself under our microscope here so we can continue to do compassionate research in hopes of finding a cure.
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I just have to wonder why Jeremiah Wright’s comments bothered John Robinson so much. How does Rev. Wright’s comments affect his life so much that he has to make irrational critiques on two different blogs about a documentary about the early black basketball stars? He complains that ESPN’s documentary is an effort in PC nonsense and subjects people to his nonsense. No one questioned his right to speak his mind yet he is offended that Rev. Wright spoke his mind in his own church. He doesn’t have to like what the man had to say. He’s not required to attend his church, so I don’t understand what his beef is. What Mr. Robinson is offended by is that black people have the nerve to bring up injustices of the past or even the present. He figures since black people are not treated the way they were in the 40′s, 50′s & early 60′s, we are not entitled to say anything. Even though there are now privileged black athletes that doesn’t mean that black people are now treated the same as whites. That’s the point (some) white people don’t get. Or rather, they are offended that black people no longer want to accept white privilege.
I recorded the documentary and I still have to watch Part 2. I have really enjoyed this documentary because it gives me an understanding about some of the things my dad and his friends experienced as young athletes in the 50′s. My dad grew up in DC and was a football player and swimmer at WV State. My dad didn’t talk much about the segregation and racism he experienced growing up. I learned a great deal about the overt racism some of his classmates experienced in high school when DC schools were desegregated in 1955 at my dad’s funeral in 2003.
Frankly, considering what so many people of my dad’s generation experienced (including Jeremiah Wright), it’s rather understandable Rev. Wright’s anger in that context.
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Isn’t it high time a documentry gets done to commend white people ? How they opened up sports to black people ? And voting rights ? The list is long and growing. Enough negativity. Why not salute white people for once. Please let’s not be so self righteous. Are you going to say that in certain countries where Blacks are the majority whites are not at a disadvantage ? Don’t tell me about South Africa because the whites relinquished control. Are whites safe in that country today ? No they are not. So please … nobody is perfect. I say we make a documentry saluting whites for helping blacks move forward in this great country.
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Sorry Steve but most documentaries (and frankly most things on tv) are about white people and their accomplishments. HBO has been doing a series on John Adams if you didn’t catch it. The “Black Magic” documentary which celebrates some great players from HBCUs came out in the midst of March Madness. You obviously didn’t watch the documentary because their are tributes to blacks and whites who were instrumental in the careers of Johnny McClendon (James Naismith) or supportive of Cleo Hill (coach, Paul Seymour). While racism is broached in the documentary, the bulk of the series about outstanding players that most people probably have never heard of.
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Hi Steve, thanks for the post and also thanks for saying a few things in support of White people and for America, which both you and I know isn’t the worst, most evil and oppressive country in the world…
.
But, understand that your post here disqualifies you from ever working at ESPN, PBS or frankly any MSM – Mainstream Media outlets. Also, it is doubtful that you will be considered for jobs like Michelle Obama has – getting paid $300,000 per year by the University of Chicago Hospitals as their Director of Diversity (something like that). It’s a good, very well paying job. The hours are good, I don’t think Michele has do show up to work, she can telecommute work as she is on the road/in the air flying around the country campaigning for her husband Barack who is campaigning on a platform to “unite our country and end the evils of RACISM”
The Obama’s have had a bit of a difficult week as word got out that they have been leading members of an extremist RACIST Afrocentric, Liberation Theology church/cult that teaches that Jesus was a poor Black man oppressed by evil White Italians – THE ROMANS (?????????!!!!! Rich Black people like Jeremiah Wright say the strangest things)
Also the Wright/Obama church/cult pushes the idea that evil White people now control everything in America and these evil, rich White people in the government created AIDS to kill off Black people.
Also, understand that these very colorful and entertaining Afrocentric Liberation Theology cultists are my neighbors in Chicago. Hey Steve, here’s hoping your neighbors are a little less hostile, a little more “mainstream”, “middle class” (Rev. Wright’s church doesn’t like “Middle Class” stuff at all) than mine…
Charles’ Manson’s church/cult would be more mainstream, middle class, pro American than my neighbors in Wright/OBama’s Afrocentric Liberation Theology church/cult!
:-) LOL
Only in America Steve. Only in America.
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Hey steve and John Robinson,
Unless you can offer something useful, then I’m going to ask you guys to excuse yourselves from this blog. There are plenty of other blogs out there where angry people with racist or ignorant points of view can lurk (both “black” and “white”). Neither of you have contributed much of anything, and you’re not going to get any sympathy here, nor compassion, which I reserve for people who demonstrate at least a small amount of effort or desire to want to improve the results of their lives. The universe works a certain way, fellas. How you do anything is how you do everything. So, for one thing, if you live your lives and conduct your careers the way you use logic and reason, then judging from your comments so far you must be unemployed or broke or both, and you live in fear. Of people who live in fear, they always eventually lose everything, because what you focus on expands. That means, what you want to avoid the most, that’s what you get. Sorry. You do have choices, but your egos just won’t seem let you do what you know is right. The good news is that the universe will keep teaching you the same lessons over and over again — each time more emphatically — until you get them right!
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Fair enough Claude.
You are obviously a very talented, educated young man and I wish you good success in your work. The subject you have chosen Black African American history, sports and culture is a perfectly good subject and there are so many honest, positive stories that can be told, that should be told. But, please understand most Americans are very tired of political correctness and most Americans are also tired of PBS, ESPN, the MSM – mainstream media pushing biased programming that demonizes White Americans. America really isn’t the worst country in the world, if it was, why do tens of millions of people from non White, non Western countries try to immigrate here?
Take care Claude and I do say sorry to anyone who took offense at any of my posts.
All the best.
John
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John Robinson said:
“(Rick Barry was really, really good – I think the best all around White NBA player ever)”
Yeah, but that Jerry West guy — you know, the guy who IS the NBA logo — was better.
Barry was a great player but he was no “Jordan” to his teammates. In fact, most of them despised him. In fact, most of the NBA despised him. That’s why he didn’t win the MVP award in `75. Besides, the Warriors were more than just Barry. They had a great shootng guard in Phil Smith and a top notch rookie in Jamaal Wilkes.
Oh, and they had a black coach, Alvin Attles, who did a pretty nice job, too.
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[...] as did Celtics legends Bill Russell, Satch Sanders, and John Havlicek, Lakers exec Mitch Kupchak, “Black Magic” film director Dan Klores, talk show host Dr. Michael Dyson, N.B.A. execs Adam Silver, Sal LaRocca, and Mike Bantom, Converse [...]
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I see John McLendon as the father of modern college basketball. I have been told stories of how he introduced the two team system. Small full court in your mouth defense pressure, big team zone defense. He also used a four corner offense. Hmmm! His smaller team were defeating much larger teams with these these tactics. He was known as “Coach Johnny Mc” at then Norht Carolina College for Negroes ( now Norht Carloina Central University)
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Does anyone know where I can get this black magic documentary to purchase, I would Love to purchase it, for me and my family, its necessary.
Thanks
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[...] Now, I’m not interested in taking anything away from the deserving H.B.C.U. pioneers who were profiled so beautifully by Klores. [...]
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Hoping Ian Henry found the DVD. If not, fyi it’s on DVD at libraries and from Amazon & Netflix, with these annotations:
Durham County (NC) Library:
A look at the Civil Rights Movement from the perspective of some of the most talented African-American basketball players who lived it. Features interviews with Ben Wallace, Willis Reed, and more.
Netflix:
ESPN: Black Magic
(2008) NR
Filmmaker Dan Klores links the rise of the United States civil rights movement to the history of African American basketball players and coaches at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Narrated by actor Samuel L. Jackson and musician Wynton Marsalis, this documentary explores the intersection of sports and culture through game footage and interviews with players such as Willis Reed and Dick Barnett.
Amazon customer reviews:
By M. Philpott “MPinNC”
I recently saw this ESPN production via video tape that I received from a friend of mine. This film recounts the history of small, black college basketball. Let me first say that I am a white middle aged conservative from the south and I would say anyone who is a college basketball and/or a history fan would be absolutely thrilled w/ this film. All the familiar names are there, Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Charles Oakley, etc that fans may know came from these type of schools but the best parts are the names and stories of guys we’ve never heard of. They are truly uplifting and at times tragic stories. I was raised in Durham, NC and am (I thought) very knowledgeable of area basketball history but had never heard of John McClendon, arguably one of the leading pioneers in the game. The film also examines a lot of the social and political problems of the 40′s,50′s and beyond in regards to race and discrimination. This is, in a word, wonderful television. I would highly recommend this purchase.
By Truly Blessed
My husband & I saw the first part of this film when it aired on TV back in March. It was the same night the John Adams series began & which we were planning to watch. We were so sucked into Black Magic, we totally forgot about John Adams. This is an absolutely amazing, remarkable film, on the same high quality level as a Ken Burns-type documentary. The stories are unforgettable…incredibly moving and touching. As a child of the 80s/90s, I learned so much – it’s mind-boggling to me that a person would be passed over or banned because of the color of their skin. I’m a huge NBA fan, and couldn’t believe the Detroit Pistons passed up Earl Monroe because he went to a smaller black college! For basketball fans, the classic NBA footage is out of this world – early film of Earl Monroe, Wilt Chamberlain, Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson & so many more – this is a must own for any basketball fan!! I can’t wait to get my copy & can’t recommend it enough!
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I heard about this documentry from a friend and I am reviewing this site in an effort to find out how to secure a copy of the dvd. After reading some of the commentary I decided to add my two cents.
I am 79 years old and an old jock. I hail from Kansas City, Kansas and graduated from Sumner High School the same as Johnny McLendon. Manny of my friends and classmates were recruited by coach Mac to play basketball at North Carolina College. Incidently, Sumner High School won the National Negro Basketball championship in 1944. While attending Kansas University Johnny Mac met Dr. Naismith where he learn more about the game. After graduation he went on to become one of most successful coaches in the country winning the N.AI.A championship three years in row with Tenneesee State.
As for me I attended Emporia State, University. I was on the track team there lettering all three years becoming a N.A.I.A all american two years, captain of the track team and president of K club now the E club. In 2007 I was inducted into the Hall of Honor.
I mention some of these things because I believe there is a story to be told about black athlete’s that attended white colleges and Universities during the late forties and fifties. For instance traveling in Kansas and the South with an integrated team: The Drake Relays, no problem ( you could eat and sleep with the team) North Texas State (you could sleep with the team but not eat) at the Arkansas Relays in Fayetteville there was a pleasant surprise ( you could sleep, eat and attend the movies however my coach said, Hank you can sleep with me in my room but my good friend and team mate spoke up and said , no, Hank and I will share a room. To this day I have not been on the University of Texas Track. When our Coach received a telegram from the Texas Coach stating that I could’nt compete in the Texas Relays the whole team did not attend. When we got to the kansas Relays two weeks later the Texas coach met me on the track and apologzed, saying how stupid the law in Texas was and that Texas Southern’s team was running better times than his team and if it were not for the stupid law, those black track men would be running for the University of Texas. In 1956, one year later, Texas permited integrated teams to participate and in 1958, black schools were able to compete. Texas Southern broke just about ever record in the college division. Although I graduated I sang that old song “SATISFIED”
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Hank, thanks for sharing your memories. You would most certainly love the recent ESPN documentary film called Return to Mexico City but I don’t know where you can get it now. Might be out on DVD already.
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Skip, thanks for the info and comments!
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