PERSPECTIVES


 * PERSPECTIVES**

Racial tensions were running high in Alexandria in 1971. Multiple schools were consolidated into a single, new high school. This high school would be racially integrated.

Coach Boone was given the head football coaching job at this newly created high school. As a black man living in the south, he grew up experiencing racial prejudice. This football job was his opportunity to hold a leadership role amongst both black and white students and coaches. Although he experienced racism, he was not the source of racism. Rather, he was often the target of it. From his perspective, he knew that the black players were no different than the white players on the team. The only difference was the color of their skin.

Coach Yoast not only had his own feelings toward race to overcome, but also had to overcome his own ego when he was bypassed for the head football coach job at T.C.Williams. He felt that he was entitled to that position and didn't readily accept his new role as an assistant coach. From his perspective, he saw a prime coaching job go to someone else. And further, that job was given to a black man. However, he supported his players that he coached from one of the schools that was consolidated and decided to remain on the coaching staff to help them.

Similar to Coach Yoast, both Campbell and Bertier had racial issues and ego issues to overcome. As players, they felt entitled to positions on the team and were fiercely loyal to other members of the team that they had played football with at the other schools. From a racial standpoint, as a black player, Campbell's perspective falls more in line with that of Coach Boone. In that, Campbell feels that he is an equal and no different than the white players on the team. However, due to his experience as the target of racism, he isn't quick to make friends with the white players on the team. Conversely, as a white player on the team, Bertier's perspective falls more in line with that of Coach Yoast. Bertier was raised during a time of great racial divide. The racial divide permeated every aspect of life and he felt that he and the other white players on the team were better than the black players. Further, he didn't readily accept the authority of Coach Boone, which was another manifestation of his prejudice.