Duke University men’s basketball is one of the most storied programs in basketball history; however, the program has a complicated history and relationship with Black America. Before 1965, the Duke men’s basketball team was racially segregated. Fast forward to 2022, and five Black men from Duke’s team were drafted to the NBA, setting the program record for players selected in a single draft. But how did we get from segregation to the success signified by the 2022 draft? Claudius B. (“C.B.”) Claiborne, Duke’s first Black student-athlete. This documentary focuses on C.B.’s story, which includes active participation in the struggle for Black liberation on campus and the Allen Building Takeover. It explores both the individual experience of the first Black student-athlete on campus as well as the institutional and national histories of Black activism and sports.
Directed by: Funmi Ogunro, Javier Wallace
RT: 16 min