Cusps Attucks Basketball And Black Indianapolis

Cusps Attucks Basketball and black Indianapolis

Your Name

African Studies

Professor’s Name

21 February 2019

Introduction

In 1770, Crispus Attucks, a black man, was the first person to die during the American Revolution. He was killed in what became known as the Boston Massacre. He was considered as the instigator and the leader of the event, but there were some debates on whether he was a rabble-rousing villain or a patriot. He was believed to be the first casualty of the American Revolution. He was born around 1723 in Framingham, Massachusetts. His mother was a Natick Indian, while his father was likely a slave. They had seen a lot of discrimination and oppression by whites. There were treated as slaves and were unable to attain any social right in society due to their color and race. Attucks basketball provided a platform for African Americans to create awareness about the racial disparity in the society.

Discussion

Born into slavery, he was considered to be the son of a slave shipped to America from Africa. Little is known about the family of Attucks and his life. They lived their lives just outside Boston in the Framingham, Massachusetts. It is notable to mention that British soldiers had strong control over the colonies due to which the tensions escalated between British soldiers and the colonists. The situation was worsening at that time and Attucks was the one of those who was affecting by these circumstances. He contributed to the era by confronting the British when they made the freedom of American look vulnerable. This led to the war on independence. Attucks was one of those who were oppressed and discriminated in American society on the basis of their race and color. However, his heart was full of patriotic desires for the American land. When the British threatened American freedom, he represented American along with his fellow. He was filled with patriotism and wanted to fight Britain to have freedom from them. He wanted to be a part of this war as he wants freedom. Attucks was known as a black patriot who was serving his country in order to get freedom from the British nation. It is noteworthy to mention that never before in history, any black person fight side by side America due to the bitter reality and history of slavery.

Attucks made his name in history by serving the American side against the British. After his name, a school was formed, named as Crispus Attucks High School. The school was formed during the era of racial integrity in both sports and education. It is essential to know that African American were not allowed to go to the same school as white children went. There were separate schools for both white and black's children. Even the cafeteria was different as American considered themselves superior to any other nation of the world. They believed that they are more superior to others on the basis of race and civilization. That is the reason that Crispus Attucks High School was for blacks. The school was comprised of Black administration and Black faculty. The students of that school were very much into athletic activities. Even the fans who supported the athletic endeavors of the school were mostly black. This was a serious issue which got raised in the newspaper which warned that athletic success can lead towards racial equality as African American were not in fair of whites and vice versa. Their loss in 1952 was a major setback for young basketball players and it was just like discrimination and segregation that they experienced on daily basis.

The loss of the Attucks was an anomaly as it was the first time that the team was unable to advance beyond the sectional round between years 1951 and 1959. The athletic accomplishment of the school was always remembered in Indiana's storied tradition. They were able to achieve eight regional titles, eight sectional titles, three state championships and six appearances among the final four teams in championships. The first won by the Indianapolis high school was the first Attucks state championship. It is notable to mention that Attucks became the first state championship who did not taste a single defeat in the following year for an entire season.

Crispus Attucks High School was built while the Ku Klux Klan ran Indiana. This school was designed to fail, but it did not. The students who came of age within this school succeeded in overcoming a system that was prepared to demean them. White considered this all-black school system a total disaster for the African Americans. It was significantly understood at that time that African American had nothing to do on their own. They lacked qualified teachers and the government was doing nothing to help them. They created these schools on their own to combat the evil desires of whites. With the passage of time, they easily overcame a school system that was created in order to belittle them. They showed their efforts and abilities and became teachers, politicians, surgeons, scientists, and world-class athletes. Their hard work and their success helped them to become a proletarian agent for integration. With their success, they won the heart of Indy’s white population. The legacy of the Crispus Attucks basketball in the 1950s progressed instead of just athletic success. It provided a platform for young blacks to prove themselves. It encouraged them to mobilize the black community in order to attain their basic rights, respect, status, and dignity in the United States.

The basketball team furnished role models for black youths to witness their representatives legitimately confronting teams that are made up of white people. There was no widespread and greater platform that could provide these African Americans with cultural pride than the middle and lower class Indianapolis blacks. The coverage of the sports event of Attucks basketball provided them a platform to raise their issue regarding race and color in American society. As discussed earlier, African American were not given basic rights in the United States and people considered them slaves. Even the books and movies of America always portrayal these African Americans as theft and criminals. The success of the team influenced the race relation of Indiana in both subtle and obvious ways. The game of Attucks was so incredible that they gain respect and support from both black and white fans. It is significant to mention that the team was suddenly representing the whole city as the newspapers were referred to as "Indianapolis Attucks".

Many historians have examined the role of African American athletes in a national context, but some of them managed to examine their social role on a local scale. Many books and magazines were made to examine the role of African American athletes in American society. One of them was Ruck's Sandlot Seasons which was the study of black sports in Pittsburgh. The article emphasized that sports proved to be potentially affected in establishing unity among African American. Sports provide a platform of self-organization among African Americans, especially in the 1940s and the 1950s. Post World War II era was considered as the death knell for autonomous black sports due to the restructuring of athletic institutions and racial integration. The Attucks remained an all-black institution in the Indianapolis since the 1950s. The high school was a part of the fabric of the community and African American could feel the pride that they were among those who were dominating the sports community due to their success and fame. The high school basketball team served as a focus for political awareness and racial pride. It provided a platform for African American to share their success with society. They were discriminated on the basis of their color and race. They were even segregated in restaurants, in the cafeteria, in schools, and in workplaces.

Therefore, they always wanted a platform to share their feelings with the whole community that they are as competent as other white in every field of life. Attucks was a brave person who wanted to show the whole world that even African Americans wanted to fight alongside America as the considered it their own country. He was the first to be killed in the American Revolution and since then, his legacy is still alive in the hearts of many Americans and African Americans.

Conclusion

Attucks was the first casualty of the American Revolution. He served American in the independence war against the British which showed his patriotism and love for his country. Even though he was considered a slave in American society and often discriminated on many bases, he managed to fight for his country. Attucks High School was made for all-blacks who were discriminated in American society. The basketball team of Attucks proved that they are no less than any white. African Americans gained pride in American society due to Indianapolis success during the 1950s. The basketball team served as a focus for political awareness and racial pride. It raised the voice of several African Americans who were oppressed in American society and were discriminated on the basis of their color.

Bibliography

Browne, Stephen H. "Remembering Crispus Attucks: Race, rhetoric, and the politics of commemoration." Quarterly Journal of Speech 85, no. 2 (1999): 169-187.

Goudsouzian, Aram. "Ba–ad, Ba–a–ad Tigers": Crispus Attucks Basketball and Black Indianapolis in the 1950s." Indiana Magazine of History (2000).

Pierce, Richard B. "More than a game: The political meaning of high school basketball in Indianapolis." Journal of Urban History 27, no. 1 (2000): 3-23.