Mickelle Bisbee – Staff Writer
Members of the Black 14 do not regret what they did and what they stood for in 1969. They would do it again today.
“Absolutely we would do it again because we didn’t do anything wrong,” said John Griffin, a member of the Black 14.
On the stage of the Arts and Sciences Auditorium Thursday night, eight of the original Black 14, plus the son of the late Earl Lee, returned to the University of Wyoming to recount the events of Oct 17, 1969.
On that day, 14 black players of the UW football team attempted to protest against racism from Brigham Young University (BYU) by wearing black armbands. Coach Lloyd Eaton refused and dismissed them on the spot before the game even started.
Many of the members had come to the university strictly for football purposes and the scholarships football would grant them for their education. Following 1969, however, 10 out of the 14 transferred from UW when their scholarships were revoked.
When the event commenced, the Black 14 did not expect support from the community. There were few such as Branding Iron Editor Phil White, who the group called the Guardian of the Black 14 Story that not only stood up for them in the school newspaper, but also resigned in protest of the firing of the 14. Some professors resigned and a few faculty members said they would pay out of pocket for six players to continue their education.
While support for the group was sparse, all the members said that the attempted protest was worth it.
“The one thing that let us know that it was worth it, the next year Brigham Young University had their first African-American football player,” said Tony McGee, another member of the Black 14. “That won it all right there.”
In that game, BYU said that they “watched evil washed off the field” as a result of the suspension of the Black 14 from the game, said Black 14 member Guillermo Hysaw.
BYU, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, believed that blacks were cursed with the Mark of Cain and therefore would not accept blacks as members, according to the Black 14 documentary.
Since the Black 14’s attempt to protest the school was cut short, San Jose State University football players wore black armbands during UW’s Homecoming game to protest against the school.
Eaton resigned after that year’s season and never coached again. Though Eaton is dead now, many of the players said that if they were to see him again, they would not have much to say to him. Hysaw had a different view, however.
“I’d have a dialogue, not a monologue,” Hysaw said. “At the end of it, whatever he had to say, I would say thank you.”
Many of the members said that while what happened was disappointing, without the event, they would not be who they are today and would not have been friends with the other members.
“I said years ago, I probably would never come back here, but I am really glad I did come back here,” said Tony Gibson, another member of the Black 14. “I only came back here for what he did.”
A livestream is available online at Wyoming PBS’s YouTube channel titled “The Black 14 and the First Amendment.”
