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The Racist Past of Fielding Yost

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In the 1934 game against Georgia Tech, the University of Michigan athletic director, Fielding Yost, benched the football team’s best player, Willis Ward. Not because of an injury or anything Ward did, but because Ward was Black - the only Black player on the team. Fast forward to today, an advisory committee to the University of Michigan is recommending the name Fielding Yost be removed from Yost Arena. They’re saying the legendary football coach committed racist offenses against his own players. On this episode, we're taking a look at this insidious side of the University of Michigan's football record.

GUESTS:

Buddy MoorehouseBlack and Blue - The Story of Gerald Ford, Willis Ward and the 1934 Michigan-Georgia Tech Football Game filmmaker

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

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