WILMINGTON — On Saturday the city will honor Mel Hamilton, a member of ‘The Black 14,’ a group of black college football players still remembered and honored after 50 years for their protest of racial injustice.
Born in Charleston, SC, Hamilton moved to Wilmington with his family when he was around three, growing up in the greater downtown area. Hamilton excelled athletically and ended up at the University of Wyoming, playing college football. His career was abruptly ended after he joined his teammates after protesting the racist policies of Bringham Young University and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — but his legacy has lasted much, much longer.
The Black 14
Playing for Wyoming, Hamilton helped take the Cowboys (at the time, one of the top-ranked teams in college football) to a successful season. After serving in the U.S. Army for two years, Hamilton returned to again play for Wyoming.
Then, at a 1968 game at Brigham Young University (BYU), Hamilton and his teammates were met with racial slurs. Growing up in a segregated community in the midst of the civil rights period, Hamilton was no stranger to racism — or racist football fans — but the BYU experience was particularly affecting. What made it worse for Hamilton and his teammates, they would later say, was learning that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon church) maintained a policy that excluded blacks from the priesthood.
The following year, preparing to face BYU again, Hamilton, along with 13 other players, approached Wyoming’s coach wearing black armbands. According to Hamilton, they never even got the chance to explain their protest — they were kicked off the team, on the spot.
The story of the ‘Black 14’ went national — Hamilton has continued to speak about his experience, including in Star News on the 50th anniversary of The Black 14’s protest. The protest is also the subject of a documentary, directed by Darius Monroe and produced by Spike Lee.
Mel Hamilton Day
On Saturday, March 7, the City of Wilmington will declare the date officially as Mel Hamilton Day.
The ceremony will take place on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the ILA Hall located at 1305 South 5th St. The event is free and open to all. According to event organizer Derrick Anderson, Mel Hamilton hopes to make an appearance at the proclamation.
