Malika Rogers, Louis Hinkel

The 1965 AFL All-Star Game Boycott

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The story of the 1965 AFL All-Star Game isn’t well known. It isn’t referenced as having stellar match ups or ground breaking plays. That particular game, however, was professional football’s grandest stand against the massive resistance of the south during The Civil Rights Movement. This paper discusses the history of the AFL and its relationship with black players, identify specific incidents of racial discrimination that black AFL players experienced, the events surrounding the All-Star Game boycott, and its impact on professional athletes’ demonstrations against injustice.