{"id":3951,"date":"2024-09-30T13:32:30","date_gmt":"2024-09-30T13:32:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/?p=3951"},"modified":"2025-02-18T16:34:01","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T16:34:01","slug":"join-this-free-historic-film-screening-reception-oct-8-at-morris-library","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/?p=3951","title":{"rendered":"Join this free historic film screening, reception Oct. 8 at Morris Library"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"SIU Alumnus Oyd Craddock Interview: &quot;Before the West Coast&quot; Documentary\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/b2dz2odJkbE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cBefore the West Coast\u201d created by Saluki Hall of Famer Oyd Craddock<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>By Jeff Wilson<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some stories demand to be told, and sometimes they just need the right storyteller. Such was the case for Oyd Craddock and his film, \u201cBefore the West Coast: A Sports Civil Rights Story.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3953\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3953\" style=\"width: 198px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3953\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/c1da6efe-3d89-4c6f-968c-e674365fe191-198x300.jpg\" alt=\"Oyd Craddock\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/c1da6efe-3d89-4c6f-968c-e674365fe191-198x300.jpg 198w, https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/c1da6efe-3d89-4c6f-968c-e674365fe191.jpg 528w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3953\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oyd Craddock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A free screening of the film will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 8, in Morris Library\u2019s Guyon Auditorium. The event will last from 4 to 6 p.m., during which the 1-hour, 6-minute film will be shown followed by a Q&amp;A session with Craddock and reception, including refreshments. Don\u2019t miss this opportunity to see the film and hear the story behind the documentary.<\/p>\n<p>The event is sponsored by the SIU Foundation in collaboration with the College of Arts and Media, Department of Athletics, and Vice Chancellor for Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.<\/p>\n<p>Craddock, a 1980 alumnus of SIU\u2019s College of Business and Analytics, Saluki Hall of Fame football player, and member of the SIU Foundation Board of Directors, attended New Orleans\u2019 St. Augustine High School in the 1970s. The school\u2019s football team famously integrated the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) in 1967.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3952 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/d0ebb5f7-9023-4c3a-8f2e-03a2b8cc5374-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Before the West Coast\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/d0ebb5f7-9023-4c3a-8f2e-03a2b8cc5374-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/d0ebb5f7-9023-4c3a-8f2e-03a2b8cc5374-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/d0ebb5f7-9023-4c3a-8f2e-03a2b8cc5374.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis film is really a part of my life story,\u201d Craddock said. \u201cIt tells the story of the trials and triumphs of the all-Black, boys\u2019 Catholic high school that integrated the all-white athletic league in Louisiana. It was a breakthrough event to have integrated competition in sports in high schools back then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The film also highlights the leadership of the school\u2019s iconic coach, Otis Washington, and follows the team\u2019s journey throughout the 1970s. Craddock enrolled in St. Augustine in 1972 and was co-captain of the school\u2019s 1975 undefeated state championship team.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOtis Washington was an innovator, transformative leader, and incredible head coach,\u201d Craddock said. \u201cHe was ahead of his time. He went on to be the first Black coach hired by LSU (Louisiana State University).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Making a movie was not originally on Craddock\u2019s mind when he attended the 2012 LHSAA Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Coach Washington.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI got to the point where I felt like I was called to tell this story,\u201d Craddock said. \u201cIt could not die with us. I felt it would inspire the current generation. It evolved from a photo library with some video clips to doing interviews with players from that era to actually telling the full story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>More than a football story, \u201cBefore the West Coast\u201d showcases the leadership, integrity, and perseverance that was required during such a historic time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can excel in the face of adversity,\u201d Craddock said. \u201cAt that time, racism was very prevalent in the Deep South, but leadership matters, integrity matters. The students\u2019 journey help transform the city of New Orleans from the era of segregation. The deck was not stacked equally, but we had to find a way to overcome, and we did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After a 31-year career with IBM, the now-retired Craddock credits much of his success to his experience at SIU.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt wasn\u2019t as much about the athletic accomplishments at SIU as much as the total experience,\u201d he said. \u201cThe rigor of business school and demands of football helped prepare me for the real world. SIU propelled me to my career. I forever love SIU, the experience, and the help and guidance I received.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For more information about \u201cBefore the West Coast: A Sports Civil Rights Story\u201d and to watch the trailer, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/beforethewestcoast.com\">beforethewestcoast.com<\/a>. To register for the free screening and reception, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/siuf.org\/craddock\">siuf.org\/craddock<\/a>. Registration is preferred but not required.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cBefore the West Coast\u201d created by Saluki Hall of Famer Oyd Craddock By Jeff Wilson Some stories demand to be told, and sometimes they just need the right storyteller. Such was the case for Oyd Craddock and his film, \u201cBefore the West Coast: A Sports Civil Rights Story.\u201d A free screening of the film will &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/?p=3951\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Join this free historic film screening, reception Oct. 8 at Morris Library<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,3,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-events-engagement","category-higher-education","category-siu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3951"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4268,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3951\/revisions\/4268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}