Pivotal Moment Involving College Football And Race Captured In Film Being Screened At CSUSB Palm Desert

PALM DESERT, CA — California State University, San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus will host a free screening Oct. 15 of a documentary highlighting a pivotal moment in college football history involving future President Gerald Ford and his Black teammate Willis Ward.

The event, organized by the campus chapter of the Ford Leadership Forum and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Fellows Program, takes place from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Room 120 of the university's Indian Wells Center for Educational Excellence.

The documentary, "Black and Blue: The Story of Gerald Ford, Willis Ward and the 1934 Michigan-Georgia Tech Football Game," tells the story of Ward, the University of Michigan's sole Black football player in 1934. Prior to a matchup against Georgia Tech, which refused to play against a Black athlete, pressure mounted on Michigan to bench Ward. In response, Ford threatened to quit the team in protest of the racial discrimination facing his friend and teammate.

Following the film, CSUSB Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Rafik Mohamed will lead a discussion on race and leadership in sports. Mohamed is the author of "Black Men on the Black Top: Basketball and the Politics of Race."

Admission is free, but seating is limited and attendees must RSVP online by Oct. 12. Visitors are required to purchase a campus parking permit via parking lot dispensers or the ParkMobile app.

More information is available by contacting the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus Office of Marketing and Communications or visiting the campus website at csusb.edu/pdc.