Explore the legacy of barrier-breaker and Pitt football legend Bobby Grier.
Join the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, University of Pittsburgh, and the Grier family to celebrate courage, teamwork, and the powerful story of Bobby Grier – the first African American to play in the Sugar Bowl – as part of a special program at the History Center to mark the moment’s 70th anniversary.
“Game Changers: Bobby Grier” will include an engaging panel discussion featuring Rob Grier, Jr., son of Bobby Grier; Dorin Dickerson and Brandon Miree, former Pitt football stars; Rob Ruck, sports historian; Samuel W Black, director of the African American Program at the History Center; and additional special guests who will reflect on Grier’s impact on and off the field.
Moderated by award-winning CNN anchor Fredricka Whitfield, the program will also include video tributes and the premiere of the trailer for a new Bobby Grier limited-run series.
Seventy years ago, Grier and the Pitt Panthers traveled to New Orleans to play in one of college football’s highest-profile games, despite intense opposition in the Deep South.
Pitt’s 1955 season began on Sept. 17, when the Panthers defeated the California Golden Bears. Grier, a three-time senior letterman from Massillon, Ohio, and a standout on both sides of the ball, scored the first touchdown of the game and the regular season—unknowingly initiating a chain of events that would rewrite college football history.
After finishing the season with a 7–3 record, Pitt was invited to compete in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia Tech, but faced strong resistance from Marvin Griffin, the segregationist governor of Georgia who believed his state’s teams shouldn’t participate in racially integrated events.
Leadership at the University of Pittsburgh, Grier’s teammates, and the Georgia Tech students and players stood united: if there was no Grier, there would be no game.
Grier’s groundbreaking Sugar Bowl appearance transcended football and sport, appearing on the front page of national newspapers and contributing to the momentum of the Civil Rights Movement.
Reserve tickets:
https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/event/game-changers-bobby-grier/
Admission
This program is presented by the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, University of Pittsburgh, and the Grier family. Tickets are $10 for non-members and $5 for History Center members. Admission is FREE for students with a valid ID. Not a member? Join today to receive exclusive member perks!
The event will be held in the museum’s fifth floor Mueller Center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
For additional questions, please contact
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