via Flickr
Bowl game appearances, famous alumni, and NFL connections couldn’t hide a host of problems within Syracuse University’s football program in 1970.
During secret midnight meetings at Ben’s Kitchen, Black student-athletes Gregory Allen, Richard Bulls, Dana Harrell, John Godbolt, John Lobon, Clarence “Bucky” McGill, A. Alif Muhammad, Duane Walker, and Ron Womack plotted to expose the truth.
The Syracuse teammates learned the hard way that their futures were being shortchanged and their health jeopardized.
Their sports schedules inhibited academic pursuits while the doctor responsible for Black athletes was a gynecologist that barely prescribed any treatment beyond ice and rest!
They confronted head coach Ben Schwartzwalder for a year in hopes of gaining full access to academic supports such as advisers, tutoring and medical care.
When he dismissed them, the nine were left with no other option than to boycott the 1970 football season.
Media outlets picked up the story fast but reported it all wrong.
The nine were incorrectly described as the militant “Syracuse 8” and only their demand for a Black assistant coach to be hired was reported.
Their faith in the fight against institutional racism nearly cost them their scholarships, blacklisted them from NFL rosters, and caused a huge uproar among Syracuse alumni.
It wasn’t until 2006 - 36 years later! - that the school formally apologized and recognized their admirable stand against discrimination.