The black freedom struggle of the post-World War II era unleashed many challenges and changes on Mississippi. No area of the state’s society, politics, and culture went untouched by this great social movement. That included the world of sports at Mississippi’s all-white universities. During the 1950s and early 1960s, institutions of higher education, state political leaders, and the general public debated whether or not Mississippi schools should even play non-southern universities with integrated teams. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the challenge of race pivoted to the prospect of recruiting black athletes at institutions such as the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi. By the late 1970s, as seen in the championship women’s basketball teams at Delta State, intercollegiate athletics reflected many of the changes taking place in the state and around the country. This talk explores the relationship between sports and social changes at such a pivotal time in Mississippi’s modern history.
Dr. Charles Westmoreland Jr. teaches history at Delta State University. His expertise is in modern Southern history with an emphasis on the role of religion in public life and politics.