Bill Russell: Civil Rights Champion

"My most prized possession was my library card from the Oakland Public Library."

Civil Rights advocate and Celtics legend, William "Bill" Felton Russell, turns 85 today. Russell was born on February 12, 1934 in West Monroe, Louisiana to Charles and Katie Russell. He played at McClymonds High School in Oakland, CA, where the Russell family moved when Bill was eight years old. He won back to back high school championships in his junior and senior years. The University of San Francisco offered Russell a scholarship, where he became the new staring center. He went on to win two consecutive championships (1955,1956) with coach Phil Woolpert.

Russell won 11 championships during this 13-year career with the Boston Celtics, and is considered one of the greatest players in basketball history. When the Celtics played Milwaukee on December 26, 1964, Russell was part of the first all-African-American starting five to take the court in the NBA. Not long after, coach Red Auerbach retired before the 1966-1967 season and asked Russell to coach. On April 16, 1966, Russell agreed to coach (and still play),becoming the first African-American head coach in the NBA. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975.

While making history on the court, Russell also became known for his work as a Civil Rights advocate. When several hotels in Oklahoma City refused to admit the African American players of the University of San Francisco basketball team, Bill, along with the rest of the team, stayed in a closed college dorm in protest. This served as a bonding experience for the team as they stood against racial injustice. In 1963, he walked in the March on Washington, and defended Muhammad Ali when he refused to serve in the military based on his religious beliefs. As one of the top athletes in the world, people relied on his support for the Civil Rights movement and he did not disappoint. In 2011, President Barack Obama presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Today, a statue of Bill Russell stands in front of City Hall in Boston. His first choice was the Boston Public Library. When that didn`t work out, he chose City Hall because it`s within sight of the Freedom Trail and Old State House.

Read more about Bill Russell. Available in print & audiobook.
-Red and Me: My coach, my life-long friend by Bill Russell

-Russell rules: 11 lessons on leadership from the twentieth century's greatest winner by Bill Russell with Alan Hilburg and David Faulkner

-King of the court: Bill Russell and the basketball revolution by Aram Goudsouzian