The Crimson and Gold: Football and Integration in Athens, Georgia

"The Crimson and Gold tells the story of integration in Athens through the footballing experiences of students, teachers, university administrators, and Athenians at the University of Georgia, Athens High School (the white school), Burney-Harris High School (the Black school), and, eventually, Clarke Central High School. In addition to the relatively well-known story about Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Hamilton Holmes, Clegg details 'Freedom of Choice' transfers in 1964, desegregation of local businesses like The Varsity, the violence perpetrated by the local chapter of the KKK, the first athletic competitions between Burney-Harris and Athens High in 1966, the importance of the Vietnam War to the story of Athens desegregation, Black Athenians' resistance to integration, and the tumultuous first years of Clarke Central's existence. The manuscript also features extensive interviews with a number of Black and white Athenians who lived through the era, including: Horace King and Clarence Pope (Burney-Harris and Clarke Central football players who were two of the first five Black football players at UGA), former Athens Mayor and Athens High School football player Doc Eldridge, current DeKalb County CEO and former Georgia Labor Commissioner (and Burney-Harris and Clarke Central football player) Michael Thurmond, the first Black scholarship athlete at UGA and Athens High School alumnus Maxie Foster, and local writer, journalist, and publisher (The Flagpole) Pete McCommons"--