Joe Donnelly: “earlier this year I was incredibly fortunate to be part of the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, a moving and…”

“earlier this year I was incredibly fortunate to be part of the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, a moving and meaningful experience in Selma, AL. Fifty years ago, during the marches from Selma to Montgomery, civil rights leaders and everyday citizens of this country put their lives at risk in a passionate, nonviolent demonstration for a more equal and more just society. The passion and courage for equality reflected in the historic marches in Selma were the culmination of decades of struggle shown by men and women across this country. In my home State of Indiana, a place that takes great pride in high school basketball, it is fitting that 60 years ago the civil rights movement played out on the hardwood of Indiana basketball courts. On March 19, 1955, at the Butler Fieldhouse, the Flying Tigers of Crispus Attucks High School became not only the first all-African-American high school team to win a State championship in Indiana but the first all- African-American high school athletic team to win a State championship in the United States. Led by future NBA Hall of Famer--and maybe the best basketball player of all time--Oscar Robertson, the Flying Tigers finished their 1955 season with a 30-and-1 record, capped with a 97-to- 74 victory over Gary Roosevelt High School in the State final. Before Crispus Attucks' historic 1955 season, no Indianapolis basketball team had won a State championship in the tournament's 45- year history.…”