Believe it or not, there are still plenty of fans of the Boston Celtics who are not aware of the role the team and its brightest star Bill Russell played in the US civil rights movement. The folks at the CLNS Media “History and Legends” YouTube channel put together a video that delves into the remarkable moment when Russell took a stand against racism by withdrawing from an NBA match.
His actions inspired his African American teammates from the Celtics to join him, followed by the Black players of the opposing team, the (then) St. Louis (now, Atlanta) Hawks. Frank Ramsey of Boston and Cliff Hagan from St. Louis, who were once all-American teammates at the University of Kentucky, received local adoration.
However, this experience was not shared by all their fellow Celtics and Hawks players, highlighting the racial divide.
Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear this important story for yourself.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
