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THE MIGHTY GENERALS
A STORY OF BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND RACIAL UNITY IN THE DEEP SOUTH.
In February of 1970, the federal government mandated the desegregation of schools in Greenville, South Carolina. In the middle of the school year, 12,000 of the County’s 57,000 students were reassigned in an effort to bring each school’s racial balance in line with the area’s overall demographics. The potential threat for riots and violence from opponents of desegregation evoked apprehension and fear among parents, teachers and students in the wake of the federal mandate.
Wade Hampton High School was South Carolina’s largest high school at the time. It was named in honor of Wade Hampton III, a Confederate general and former governor who descended from an influential slave-owning South Carolina family. Prior to desegregation, the Confederate flag was waved prominently on Wade Hampton’s campus and the school’s colors were Confederate red and gray.
On the morning of February 17, 1970, 300 new black students were added to the enrollment at Wade Hampton. Five of these students joined the all-white boys’ varsity basketball team and were instrumental in leading the school to its first state championship in any sport. The Mighty Generals tells the inspirational true story of a group of student athletes who overcame differences, bonded together as a unified team, and became champions.