Thomas L. Bryant and John Costner oral history interview, 1993 September 29
Description
Thomas L. "Tommy" Bryant and John Costner share their experiences playing on the Ashley High School basketball team in Gastonia, North Carolina in 1967, during the first year of integration at the school. John Costner, a Black student, transferred to Ashley High during integration and joined the basketball team along with around five other Black students. Mr. Costner describes how working with skilled players on the Ashley High basketball team made integration easier, although both groups of team members had to adjust to each other's playing styles. Mr. Bryant, a White student athlete at Ashley High School, describes how the entire community rooted for the basketball team despite racial differences. Other topics include winning a state championship, Coach Rhodes and other coaches, and racial tension relating to the homecoming queen election.
