What Is The Theme Of Internal Tension In Texas Western's Glory Road?

In 1966 the NCAA basketball championship game consisted of the accomplished four-time NCAA tournament winner, the University of Kentucky Wildcats, and a small southwestern institution in El Paso, home of the “progressive” Texas Western College Miners. During this epoch, racism was still thriving in the South as well as the collegiate education and athletic system. Unlike most institutions of the South, Texas Western experienced integration over a decade earlier and opportuned coach Don Haskins to recruit talented players, regardless of their skin color. The film Glory Road exemplifies the many hardships these student-athletes confronted on and off the court. Prior to becoming national champs, the Miners dealt with plenty of internal tension. Ranging from a lack of student-athlete motivation, unseasoned coaching, and miscommunication within the team. In addition, Texas Western’s basketball team was not welcomed to every town with open arms either. For example, the movie displays a montage of news headlines as the team travels and continues triumphant with a 28-1 season. Their record matched with

Other PWIs tended to scorn playing against Texas Western according to the film. In an instance where the team arrived for the Tournament, Haskins approaches Kentucky’s successful coach, Adolph Rupp, who disregards Haskin’s introduction and compliment because of his team’s diversity. However, once a predominantly-black Miners team defeats a glorified all-white Wildcats team, it encouraged PWIs to recruit talented minority athletes. Integration was definitely on the agenda moving forward for many reasons like William Rhoden states in novel $40 Million Slaves; “Integration would give blacks access to that big stage the craved, but it also gave whites access to the black market to black wallets and sensibilities, and to black talent,” (Rhodes, pg.