As part of their Civil Rights History Project, the Library of Congress did interviews with over one hundred “participants” of the civil rights movement. From their website:
From 2010 to 2013, over one hundred interviews with one hundred thirty-nine participants were recorded in high-definition video. Over half of the interviews are now available in their entirety as full-length video streams with the remainder being processed and prepared for access by Summer 2014. The recollections of interviewees cover a wide variety of topics about the freedom struggle, such as the influence of organized labor, nonviolence and self-defense, and the importance of faith, music, family, and friendships.
Celtics legend Bill Russell was one of those interviewed, and his three-hour plus sit down with Taylor Branch was uploaded last night. Russell discusses his childhood in Louisiana, his experiences with racism and the civil rights movement, and also his time spent with the Boston Celtics. It’s a fantastic journey through Russell’s life, highlighted by his infectious laugh and superb storytelling skills.
Here are some of my favorite moments from the interview:
(1:40) Russell on how he got his great laugh:
“My mother….she told me..never to hold back on anything. If I have to sneeze, sneeze. If you have to laugh, laugh-don’t hold it back-she said it’s good for your health.”
(2:49:45) On how “important” it was to him to be the first black coach:
“I said it’s not important….first of all, I’m the best person for the job-for this particular job, and I know that. And second…it’ll be important when coaches are hired and fired with no reference to race-then it’s important.”
(1:14:34) On fellow Celtics legend Sam Jones:
“He was on ten championship teams. He was never an innocent bystander. At least six times that I can recall, Sam took the shot that meant the season-and he never hesitated to take the shot, and he never missed.”
(1:15:13) On friend and teammate Tommy Heinsohn:
“Everyone thought of him as a big gruff, hard nosed guy.Tommy was an artist and a poet. You’d say, Heinsohn, a poet? *laughs* You know and..for me, one of the all-time good guys-ok. And my teammate..one of my favorite teammates.”
(2:50:33) On his rivals/adversaries:
“At that time,(his playing days) with the NBA, I really seriously wished that every player in the NBA could find the position where he could play his best. Because then the people that went to the NBA games would see the best players in the world playing at their best. And I kicked their ass at their best…”
High-jumping with Johnny Mathis, being a pallbearer for the great Jackie Robinson, the stories that Russell shares are just amazing. This is a fantastic interview and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did..
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
