By Dr. Carl B. Mack
On February 12, 2023, we all watched another historic NFL game, Super Bowl XLII (57). Historic because for the first time in NFL history, two Black quarterbacks faced off in the league’s ultimate game: Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles. The game was not only historic and great, but also yet another chapter in American, NFL and Black history.
Mahomes joined Russell Wilson, then with the Seattle Seahawks, as the first Black quarterbacks evah to play in two Super Bowls. However, Mahomes moved into a class of his own by becoming the first Black quarterback to win two Super Bowls, LIV (54) and XLII.
Other chapters include Super Bowl XXII (22) played on January 31, 1988, in which the central figure was Doug Williams. Williams, a graduate of HBCU Grambling State University, and played football under legendary coach Eddie Robinson, became the first Black evah to lead his team, the Washington Redskins, to a Super Bowl. Williams didn’t just play in the NFL’s biggest game and on its biggest stage, he won the game and the Most Valuable Player award…both firsts.
On February 4, 2007, Super Bowl XLI (41) featured for the first time evah, two Black head coaches, Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts and his mentee, Lovie Smith, of the Chicago Bears! Dungy became the first Black head coach to win a Super Bowl.
Now, we need to go back to yesterday to understand partly how this came to be. It’s impossible and wrong to give credit for all of these beautiful chapters to one individual. Howevah, it’s also wrong, via omission, not to include those who contributed to the advancement. In this case, the advancement of Blacks in the NFL, via the Black Press.
As former president of the Seattle King County NAACP, our branch was the recipient of the NAACP’s 2003 Class 1-A Thalheimer Award. The first place recognition was presented to our branch by the late chairman of the NAACP, Julian Bond. Our success would have been far, far less were it not for the contributions of the Black Press. In this case, the Seattle Medium, the Z-Twins radio stations and the Bennett Family.
Likewise, the Black Press positively impacted the NFL.
From the end of the 1933 NFL season until the beginning of the 1946 season, there was not one Black player in the NFL. Joe Lillard of the Pittsburgh Pirates (Steelers) and Ray Kemp of the Chicago Cardinals (Arizona) were the last Blacks to play in the NFL until 1946. Black players were effectively removed from the NFL, via The Gentlemen’s Agreement. The agreement was spearheaded by the NFL owner of the Washington Redskins, George Preston Marshall. Simply put, Marshall recommended to the 10 NFL owners not to re-sign or sign any Black players. Marshall ain’t the only one guilty of this NFL Sin. Among the 10 NFL owners, were storied names including, George Halas-Chicago Bears, Tim Mara-N.Y. Giants, Art Rooney-Steelers, Charles Bidwill-Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers Corp.-Packers. The arrangement was not written, it was to be honored as an agreement among gentlemen. For 12 NFL seasons, these owners did not allow Blacks to play in the League.
Now enters our un-sung hero, William Claire Halley Harding. He was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1904. Receiving his education from Knox College and Wilberforce, Harding played basketball and baseball. He played professional basketball with the Harlem Rens, and professional baseball in the Negro Leagues. After his baseball career, he worked as a sportswriter and editor for the Black-owned, Los Angeles Tribune and Los Angeles Sentinel.
Harding was a fearless reporter, advocating for civil rights in general, and the integration of sports specifically. On January 15, 1946, he participated in one of the most important meetings in Black sports history. The meeting was with the L.A. Memorial Coliseum Commission and the ownership of the NFL’s, Cleveland Rams. The Rams were franchised into the league in 1936. They wanted to move from Cleveland to Los Angeles and obtain a lease to play in the newly publicly built L.A. Coliseum to start the 1946 NFL Season.
Representing the Rams was general manager Charles Walsh who agreed to take questions from the public after his presentation. Harding did a magnificent job of galvanizing the Black Press and the Black community to be in attendance. He quickly stood, as a member of the Black Press and the Black community. Instead of peppering Walsh with questions, our Black Press Professor Harding gave a history lesson…An NFL Black History lesson!
Harding told Walsh, the Commission and the L.A. Community of the history of Black players when the NFL was born in 1920!
He mentioned each of the players who played in the League by name. He told of how the NFL, in its nefarious Gentlemen’s Agreement, white washed the league. In conclusion of his brilliant and insightful lesson, Professor Harding said to Walsh, the Rams and the NFL; the L.A. Memorial Coliseum was built using money from every citizen in the city, including Blacks; thus, no sports team shall be allowed to play in the publicly-owned venue that discriminates against any member of the community who funded its construction!
Just over two months after Harding spoke, the Rams broke the Gentlemen’s Agreement and signed former UCLA star, Kenny Washington on March 21, 1946. Washington in turn, understanding the support from the Black Press and the Black community, insisted the Rams also sign his Black college teammate, Woody Strode.
On September 29, 1946, Kenny Washington entered the game at the L.A. Coliseum against the Philadelphia Eagles, and broke the color barrier in the National Football League. Washington’s teammate at UCLA, Jackie Robinson, broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, seven months later, on April 15, 1947. One other thing, Marlin Briscoe was the first Black to start as quarterback in an NFL game. Kenny Washington was the first Black to play quarterback in the modern-era of the NFL. He went under center 7 times in his inaugural game.
There you have it, Halley Harding and the Black Press scored the winning touchdown yesterday and we are celebrating today!
