By Angela Johnson
The late 1950s were a time of racial segregation, discrimination and inequality in America. But in the middle of all that despair, the men’s basketball team at Tennessee A&I University was making history. The Tigers were the first HBCU team to win a national championship and the first college team to secure three consecutive championships in 1957, 1958 and 1959.
Although the team produced nine professional basketball players, few people know their amazing story. But for the past ten years, the team’s captain, Dick Barnett, has tried to right that wrong and help get them the recognition they deserve – induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and a visit to the White House. His quest is documented in a new PBS film, “The Dream Whisperer.”
Sixty-five years after the Tigers won their third championship, Barnett, once considered the most exciting shooter in basketball, narrates his journey from Gary, Indiana, to Nashville to play for Tennessee A&I (now Tennessee State University) in the film. The now-87-year-old Barnett also played for the New York Knicks in the 1970s, where he was part of two championship teams.
Despite their talent, the Tigers were not immune to racial discrimination. They played in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics because they were not allowed into the NCAA at the time. They also faced death threats and often had to stay in private homes during road trips when hotels wouldn’t allow them to stay.
“America has missed out by not being able to hear about and read about and see the teams of some of these great coaches and players, of that era,” Ron Thomas, Director of Journalism in Sports, Culture and Social Justice at Morehouse. told The New York Times.“They got no exposure whatsoever.”
In 2019, Barnett finally saw part of his dream come true as he represented the Tigers during a ceremony for their induction into the Hall of Fame. But he’s still trying to get that invite to the White House with the help of some prominent members of Congress.
Several members of the House of Representatives including Barbara Lee (D-CA), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) and Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), have signed a letter to President Biden asking for an invitation to the White House for the surviving members of the team. Although nothing can erase the discrimination they faced, a White House visit is a step in the right direction. And as the letter states, a “long overdue acknowledgement and proper celebration.” According one of the producers of “The Dream Whisperer,” only three of the surviving team members and one assistant coach are healthy enough to make the trip to D.C.