The Black Sports Legends Foundation

THE BLACK SPORTS LEGENDS FOUNDATION

P.O. Box 60207 Washington, DC 20039

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 25 , 2010

Contact: Ronald K. Bethea

202-246-4924

RKB@theblacksportslegendsfoundation.org

BLACK SPORTS LEGENDS FOUNDATION TO LAUNCH HISTORIC NATIONAL COLLEGIATE

FILM FESTIVAL AT MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

The Black Sports Legends Foundation launched a historic National Collegiate Film Festival Tour at Morgan State University on March 20-21, 2010. The festival paid special tribute and examined the lives of numerous national and local black sports legends who have had a major impact on America 's history and culture in bringing about social change and economic justice for blacks in American society. The festival, which was free of charge, featured the following documentaries and films: Earl Banks, legendary football coach at Morgan State University, ___; “ P oets' Pride," the inspiring story of Dunbar High School of Baltimore, Maryland; "Jim Brown, All-American," a documentary; “Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson," "The Ten Bears: The Morgan Lacrosse Story,” “Black Magic;” and “ALI RAP, the story of Mohammed Ali and others..

The festival was designed to educate today's youth on the lives and contributions of local and national black sports legends through the eyes of some of the top movie producers through film -- one of America 's most powerful mediums that reaches today's youth. The festival also served as a marketing tool to attract friends and alumni of the university back to the campus to participate in this history-making event and to educate the public on the goals and mission of the Black Sports Legends Foundation, which are as follows:

(1) To develop a National Collegiate Film Festival tour using film as an educational approach to educate today's youth on who the local and national black sports legends are and their impact on American society locally and nationally.

(2) To serve as a fundraising and marketing tool for other 501C 3 organizations, colleges and universities.

(3) To market a national seat belt safety advertising campaign titled: "Protecting Our Future -- As We Ride on the Greatness of Our Ancestors, the Greatness of Our Future Lives in You... Please Buckle Up: Black College Legends of the Game."

(4) To attempt to identify an HBCU library to serve as a sports archive to house the sports, books, magazines, films, and articles written by legendary sports writers such as Sam Lacy of the Washington Afro-American newspaper and Eric "Rick" Roberts of the Pittsburgh Courier newspaper.

(5) To develop the Black Sports Legends Foundation Traveling Museum for use as a national advertising and marketing tool to help generate interest among American and international tourists in visiting the more than 106 Afro-American museums in the United States and abroad.

(6) To identify those legendary Black high schools, coaches and players in the pre-integration era and the impact of their loss in the post-integration era on black communities nationally.

(7) To identify state halls of fame and to mobilize a national movement to get legendary black school coaches' and players' names nominated for induction in the halls of fame around the country.

(8) To identify undergraduate or graduate students in the field of sports to assist in conducting research on the role of sports and its impact on social change in American society and its impact on bringing about that change.

(9) To target the first black American Olympians past and present to medal in different areas of sports, from Jesse Owens in 1936 to Audrey "Mickey" Patterson in 1948, Wilma Rudolph in 1960, John Carlos and Tommie Smith in 1968, Edwin Moses in 1984, and Carl Lewis in 1988; and their impact on bringing about social change and economic justice for blacks in American society today.

(10) To develop an interactive website, which will pay special tribute to players who have been named to the Pittsburgh Courier Black All-American Teams, and SBN Sports Black College All- American Teams, conference championships records for CIAA, MEAC, SIAC, SWAC, and Black College National Champions from 1920 to present, along with all four conferences' championship records, and the history of Black College Football through the eyes of Eric (Rick) Roberts, former Pittsburgh Courier sports writer, and other widely respected black sports historians.

(11) To work to secure funding to develop a film consortium to assist aspiring film producers in partnering with experienced film producers to develop documentary films on the lives of many legendary sports figures whose stories need to be told.

The festival began with an opening statement on the purpose of the festival by festival organizer and founder, Ronald K. Bethea, Morgan Alumnus, who played on the football team coached by Earl Banks. His remarks were followed by a prayer led by Rev. Gregory G. Ogle, Ph.D ., who also played on the Banks' football team; followed by a song, “The Greatest Love of All,” by Frankie L. Bethea, CEO and founder, BLUSH Cosmetics, who is the daughter of Ronald Bethea.

Panel participants who spoke of the legacy of Earl Banks, included Mr. Lawrence Montgomery, Mr. Earl Davis, Football Coach, Morgan State University ; and Rev. Gregory G. Ogle, Ph.D. Representing of Mr. Wayne Jackson, 1973 Morgan State All-American Lacrosse Team member, was a fellow team member.

For further information about the foundation initiative and upcoming events, contact Ronald K. Bethea at 202-246-4924 or rkb@theblacksportslegendsfoundation.org .