As we observe the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, we tap into a fascinating first-hand account of someone whose work took him to the Jim Crow south during the turbulent 1960’s.
Last fall, we introduced you to a New England legend in the arena of sports: the former general manager of the New England Patriots Upton Bell.
Before Bell joined the Patriots he was the personnel director for the Baltimore Colts and often acted as a scout for new players. This responsibility often took him to the deep south in the early to mid 60’s to many African-American colleges looking for the next phenom like Jim Brown, Deacon Jones or Gayle Sayers. As a scout hopscotching through the bible belt, Bell says his eyes were opened and he learned a lot about prejudice and the fight for equality during this tumultuous period.
ACMi’s news director Jeff Barnd sat down with Bell for an in-depth interview about the fight for civil rights in America. It’s a battle for which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived and ultimately died for when he was assassinated fifty two years ago. Sadly, Bell says it’s a battle still being waged all across this country.
