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1955 crispus attucks team

Source: 500 festival

The Afternoons with Amos PODCAST Friday, May 22, 2015.  (At The 02:00 Mark On Media Player) On the eve of the Memorial Day Weekend which also includes activities of the 500 Festival and Indianapolis 500, Afternoons with Amos talked live with two members of the 1955 Crispus Attucks High School basketball team. 2015 is the 60th Anniversary of their historic victory as the first all Black team to win a State Championship of any kind. Especially the coveted Indiana High School basketball Championships.

Bill Hampton 1955 Attucks Team

Bill Hampton 1955 Crispus Attucks Player

LaVerne Benson 1955 Attucks Team

LaVerne Benson 1955 Crispus Attucks Team Member

The surviving members of that Team and Cheerleaders are the Grand Marshals of this year’s 500 Festival Parade. Bill Hampton and LaVern Benson talked to Amos and listeners about their feelings of being part of the Parade as Grand Marshals and being VIP’s at the 500 Snakepit Ball and on Race Day Morning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hampton is also a part of Hoosier Black history in another way as one of the early personalities of WTLC-FM Radio’s early years in the early 1970’s. Hampton and Benson talked about the honor, their reactions, the reactions of themselves and their family and friends.  The importance of the honor. The sting of not being allowed to celebrate their championship in 1955 because of bigotry.  Both men were also asked their reactions of the team’s star – Oscar Robertson to the 500 Festival’s honor.  Both Hampton and Benson were joined by Attucks Alum City-County Councilman William “Duke” Oliver.  Then (At The 24:50 Mark On The Media Player) Councilman Oliver was asked for his reaction to the vote by the City-County Council’s Public Works Committee to recommend to the full Council that they sue the City of Indianapolis over alleged illegalities in the City approving that controversial contract with a previously unknown, untested, new California company Vision Fleet, to purchase and manage Indianapolis’ fleet of electric and electric hybrid cars.  Then in Open Lines listeners reacted to the continuing controversy of the botched handling of that electric car contract.  Listeners also expressed concerns over the lack of activities, especially low cost or no cost activities for Indianapolis young people in the “inner city”. Listeners asked why Indianapolis churches and others couldn’t do more to raise dollars and resources for such programs in the summer. The Afternoons with Amos PODCAST for Friday, May 22, 2015. Runs 96 Minutes. PODCAST Begins After Brief Video Ad.