The one
question Herman Boone is asked the most, according to numerous Web
sites, is a predictable one: “How close is the movie to real
life?”
Boone’s reply is “very.”
Boone, the famous African-American football coach portrayed by actor
Denzel Washington in Disney’s “Remember the Titans,”
will be the keynote speaker at the 19th Annual Martin Luther King
Jr. Commemoration Day tomorrow in Rosen Concert Hall.
The program was previously held in W. H. Plemmons Student Union
the past four years, but the location was changed this year due
to the increase in attendance and lack of room in the student union,
Assistant Director for Multicultural Education at the Center for
Student Involvement and Leadership (CSIL) Anwar Cruter said.
The Appalachian State University Gospel Choir will be performing
two pieces, Cruter said. There will be two soloists performing during
the evening, and Alpha Phi Alpha Inc., an organization that King
was a part of, will give tributes to King.
A representative of the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP) will also make a tribute.
The highlight of the evening, Cruter said, will be a speech given
by Herman Boone.
“We typically try to pick a keynote speaker who reflects well
what Dr. King was about,” Cruter said, referring to King’s
mission for equality. “We think coach Boone definitely reflects
that.”
A short biography on Boone by the American Program Bureau, Inc.
said T.C. Williams High School was formed after the three high schools
in the area were forced to integrate, creating a mixed population
of students and a racially charged environment.
Boone replaced the white football coach Bill Yoast, portrayed in
“Titans” by actor Will Patton, an act that did not sit
well with Yoast’s many supporters.
Yoast stayed on the coaching staff, working under Boone. Though
their relationship was rocky at first, the two men put aside their
differences, and the players on their team followed their example.
The coaches and the players, according to the biography, initially
came together through a single common goal: to win football games.
Boone is now retired but travels around the country “to motivate
and inspire audiences with his presentations on respect, teamwork
and community involvement,” according to the biography.
“He was very brave, very courageous,” freshmen Lynnea
Hunter said, citing Boone taking the job as head coach despite the
risk to him and his family.
Junior Brian Campbell, one of the two soloists for the program,
agreed. It was good to see his influence with the students, he said.
There will also be a reception tomorrow night where students may
meet and speak with Boone. |
