Jack Trice, Johnny Bright, Duke Slater: Black History Month collection

Hawkeye football legend Duke Slater broke down racial barriers and became one of the best football players of his time, and it was due to his relentless will, talent and likable personality. His success as a football player eventually led to him becoming a lawyer and eventually a judge. But no matter how successful he got, he was always finding ways to give back to his community. Here in the small river town of Clinton, legend of Frederick Wayman Slater, better known as Duke, began to form. He and his family moved to the area when he was 13 years old, and he made his mark in more ways than one. Some still remained to this day. This actually was originally the attic of the Roosevelt School. We have two signatures from Fred Slater. We have one here where he fit it all into one brick. Field Duke was a spectacular talent and helped Clinton High School win two state championships. Off the field he was a well-rounded student. Well, he was a very good student here. He was also in the drama club. He performed in a couple of plays. His can do attitude and joyous spirit made him well liked by many of his peers. Duke Slater had a tremendous personality. People really loved him. I mean, when people were around Dukes later they couldn't help but like him and I think particularly when he was playing football. To be a a black man in that era playing football, he faced a lot of prejudice. There were a lot of late hits and cheap shots and things of that nature. And they said that Duke Slater, the smile never left his face. He was always someone who just always had good humor and he was able to diffuse situations that might have been problematic for other people, both because of his personality and also because most of the time he was the biggest and strongest person on the field. And those things he was able to use to to battle. The the the prejudice at the time. Probably up before all his talents led him to the University of Iowa, where he played football from 1918 to 1921. During his time as a Hawkeye, he was a three time all Big 10 selection and a two time all American. In a time where racism created constant barriers for African Americans in all aspects of life, Duke continued to defy the odds and blaze the path for other African American players to follow. In 1922, Duke became the first African American. Lineman in the NFL and went on to play ten seasons where he was a seven time all pro. He was a terrific football player. He really was in his day, widely regarded as one of the greatest lineman to ever play the sport. That's what Duke is best remembered for, but what he went on to achieve after his football career was just as remarkable. While he was still in the NFL, he was also pursuing a law degree from Iowa, which he earned in 1928. From there he went on to become a lawyer and practiced in the Chicago area 20 years later. He became the second black judge elected to the Cook County Municipal Court, and by 1960 he became the first black judge elevated to the Chicago Superior Court. Through all this, Duke was actively working for the advancement and empowerment of minorities in the United States. He was also instrumental in advising the president to ban segregation in the armed forces, which is the tremendous step after the World War Two of creating a democracy not only for Europe, but also here in the United States, and actually put the words of the Constitution into actual effect how they are. Affected minority groups who were being discriminated against and gave them a vehicle to be heard and acknowledged for their importance and the dignity of a human being. His community was always at the center of everything he did, and he made it a point to give back and mentor the next generation. And he's someone that in every aspect of his life he strived to be the very best he could. And I think that he should be looked upon as a beacon of hope. For a while, it seemed Duke's legacy was being. Forgotten with every passing year, but the Duke Slater Memorial Statue Committee is making sure his legacy lives on in Clinton. They're installing a life-size statue of Duke across from Clinton High School. The statue will be overlooking the football field and we should think is an aspiration for young people seeing that to say if he can achieve it, I can achieve it too. In addition, there'll be establishing a scholarship fund in his name. You see, playing football was what he did, but it didn't define who he was. Who he was and what he was, that's more important than making a special block to win the big game against Notre Dame. And, and you know, being one of the greatest Hawkeyes of all time, that again, this is a man of huge character and this is something our community should be able to hang their hat on. Old in the courtroom or spending time with people in his community, Duke's character always has and continues to shine through. Jack Trice was Iowa State's first black athlete. He had dreams of using his college education to help others, but his life was cut short due to injuries he suffered during a football game. But during his life, he made such a huge impact that people felt compelled to make sure he would never be forgotten. When I do get here. I do my last, and in my lap I'm just thanking everyone, thanking my family, my friends for all that they've done to me. And I'm thanking the coaches, support staff, as well as I'm thinking Jack Trice for allowing me to play in this stadium that's named after almost 100 years after his death. The story of Jack Trice, Iowa State's first black athlete, still resonates deeply with today's cyclone athletes like Orion Vance to bet on yourself when. Every single odd was against you. No one wanted him to be there on that field. No one wanted him to play football and to go out and be one of those guys where he was playing on both sides. And it's one of those things where as me like I went, I decided also to go to Iowa State because it was named after one of the only African Americans in to have that and be able to play under Jack Track Stadium meant the world to me. Jack Trice exemplified courage and determination. He was driven to succeed not only for himself, but to ultimately help others. He wanted to better himself. He wanted to use football as a way of getting an education, even though there were no scholarships at the time. In 1922, he began attending Iowa State. He studied animal husbandry, which deals with raising livestock and selective breeding. His goal was to use what he learned to help black farmers outside of his studies. Jack was on the track team and the football team. In fall of 1923, Jack was set to play in what he considered his first real college football game. He put his thoughts to paper in a now famous letter. Part of it read. The honor of my race, family and self are at stake. Everyone is expecting me to do big things. I will. My whole body and soul are to be thrown recklessly about the field tomorrow. Every time the ball is snapped, I will be trying to do more than my part. Jack, when he was stepping out there, was not just representing himself, but he's representing his family, and the first thing he listed was his race. And a lot of the people of color who I've interviewed, that's what they understand, and I think that particularly resonates with them. While inspiring, the letter was equal parts eerie, almost foreshadowing his own death. On October 6th, Jax suffered serious injuries in a game against Minnesota. Those injuries would lead to his death just two days later. As the years passed Jack tries, his story faded from memory on the Iowa State campus. Until the late 50s, Tom Emerson was a reporter for the student newspaper, the Iowa State Daily, when he came across a plaque dedicated to Jack and a gym on campus. Not familiar with who he was? Emerson asked around and got filled in on Jack's story. But he wanted to know more. Would like to say I went immediately, but pretty close to immediately to the library. And asked to find out more about him, and that's where. I. They got robust all the information from the story. In 1957, he wrote an article about Jack that would spark new interest from students to bring his story back to the forefront. The article didn't generate much buzz immediately, though. In fact, it wasn't until the early 70s that it resurfaced. By then, Emerson had become a professor at the university and was actively working to educate students about Jack. The main thing we did, more or less. Establish an informal guerrilla movement inside the journalism building and and the idea was to keep the story alive. It worked. Ujak was and what he stood for connected with students and they felt that he should be honored. Iowa State had begun building its new stadium and one of the students said. Jack Trice Stadium, let's go for that. You know, that was their focus. Channeling the same eye will mentality Jack expressed in his letter, the students persisted, and in 1997, they accomplished their goal. Iowa State opened the season with high expectations and a packed house at the newly named Jack Trice Stadium. It took almost 1/4 century to get Jack Trice's name on that stadium, but now his legacy is immortalized for all to see. This idea of Jack not only trailblazing in his lifetime, but inspiring a generation of students you know, here we are, 100 years later, still talking about him. While Jack's life was short, the impact he made is immeasurable. When an athletes career comes to an end, there's an assumption that that's the end of their story, but that's never really the case. Local Vice sports director Rayna Garcia shares that for Drake football great Johnny Bright, the end of his football career was the beginning of something even more special. Johnny bright. The greatest football player in Drake history remains ever present on the university's campus. From the football field that bears his name to the John D Bragg College drags 2 year associate program, his legacy as an athlete and a scholar is held in high regard. At his alma mater, Bright was one of the most talented and successful football players of his time. Even though discrimination and racism presented countless roadblocks throughout his career, Johnny had a commitment to himself that I am going to. Succeed. Despite people trying to pull me down, people not wanting me to succeed, his career began to take shape. While at Drake, Bright was a multisport athlete, but football was where he excelled most. During his sophomore season, he achieved his longtime goal of playing quarterback at the college level and total 1950 yards, making him the first sophomore player ever to lead the NCAA in total yards for a single season. He had another record-breaking season during his junior year, and by his senior year he was considered a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Despite being the school's star player, you couldn't tell by how he was treated. He couldn't live on campus because blacks were not allowed to live on campus in those days. You couldn't eat your meals in the dining hall with the rest of the students. They were not allowed to do that. Johnny couldn't escape the prejudice on the football field either. And what's known today as the Johnny Bright incident, Johnny's jaw was broken during the game against Oklahoma and M in 1951 as a result of a vicious hit by one of the Oklahoma A&M lineman. Despite not even having the ball even after the incident, there was no doubt that Johnny was destined for a great Pro Football career. But Johnny also had his sights on another dream of his athletic prowess opened the door to ongoing education, and he chose to study education when he when he came to Drake. So it wasn't just that he came to Drake to get an education, he already had the ambition of paying it forward. After college, Johnny had a Hall of Fame career. The Canadian Football League. He's still going all the way. 41 yards by that man who is. But that's not where Johnny's story ends. By the time he decided to hang up his cleats for good, he was ready to write the next chapter in his life. After the athletic career is done, Johnny got a second act. That second act would prove to be just as impactful as his first. After his retirement from football, Johnny remained in Canada and began his career as a teacher. He eventually worked his way up to becoming a principal within Edmonton Public schools. The chance to be in the stadium lights. You know, all eyes on you with the football making the big play. When that ends. Johnny turns his attention to something as demanding, arguably higher impact but lower profile, and never regrets having made that decision, never thinks this is a consolation prize. He had spent almost two decades working in education up until his death in 1983. He was just 53 years old. It really feels like. That education and his career in education feel more like the culmination of a lifelong career, rather than a coda or an addendum or an afterthought. Johnny had made such a profound impact on his community that a school in Edmonton was named after him in 2010. In 2020, Drake named its two year associate program after Johnny. In all aspects of his life, Johnny was a shining example of grit, resilience and dedication. If you have a goal in mind, let that goal be a burning fire inside of your heart and in your mind. And that no one is going to take that goal away from you. Johnny Bright didn't let that happen to him almost 4 decades after his death, his life still providing lessons that future generations can learn from. Johnny. Johnny.