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Process Paper

 

I started this project unknowing to the amount of interest I would find myself having, and the amount of desire I craved for information. As my research broadened I began to discover facts that went beyond basketball. Characteristics of humanity, that shocked and appalled me. The basketball fan in me enjoyed seeing the past and how our future has evolved so much. It is extremely interesting to compare someone like Earl Lloyd to a modern day player such as Kobe Bryant. The contrast is evident but considering the amount of time that has passed since these two first put on their jerseys it is understandable. What is really interesting are the similarities. Players like Kobe and Jordan dominated their era, era’s with constant media coverage. Earl dominated his era but with much less publicity so he gets much less credit then he deserves. Moving past basketball I saw the effects of social movements and integration happen around Earls career. He directly affect the way people perceived African Americans in a very tense time. His demeanor and professionalism on and off the court are beyond admirable and his play speaks for itself. After reflecting on this project I have found how interested I am in the past of basketball. The great players who didn’t get a chance to have their name imprinted in every media clip of the decade. Without Earl Lloyd basketball could have had its first African American player be a sham and ruin the credibility of all African Americans simply based off the enormous stereotyping pressure that was put on whoever first integrated the NBA. The world changed because of him and we still feel the impacts today. How many kids were inspired by the famous dunks of Michael Jordan? or the Showtime glamour of Magic Johnson and his Lakers? Athletes are treated as role models and idols in today’s society and the integration of the NBA was a crucial turning point in the public’s ongoing battle against segregation. Earl Lloyd exemplified courage on this day and should be recognized as not only a great player but also a great icon of humanity and equality. As I complete this project I will remember everything I learned not only about Earl Lloyd but about what interesting facts can be revealed just by starting to look in the right places at the right times.


Annotated Bibliography

-Merlino, Doug. "Interview With Earl Lloyd." Stories worth Telling. Doug Merlino, 16 Apr. 2011. Web. 5 Jan. 2012. <http://dougmerlino.net/interview-with-earl-lloyd-the-first-black-player-in-the-nba/>.
This source is an interview with Earl Lloyd the first player to integrate the NBA. A journalist interviews him and asks him questions about his experience as an icon and a pioneer while still remaining focused on playing basketball. I will include quotes and opinion's from this interview to deepen my Tumblr.


-"Earl Lloyd Becomes First Black Player in the NBA — History.com This Day in History — 10/31/1950." History.com — History Made Every Day — American & World History. A&E Television Networks. Web. 05 Jan. 2012. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/earl-lloyd-becomes-first-black-player-in-the-nba>.
This is from history channel and is considered to be the most important event of October 31 1950. It highlights headlines, and shows the reaction of the public. History channel outlines the most important events throughout history so to make its list shows how important this event was. I will use pictures and key dates from this source.

-Bailey, Ashley. "Integration and the Birth of the NBA." Online 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 05 Jan. 2012. <http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/5986/Basketball.html>.
This is an article written to to express opinion's of the event. When the NBA integrated a’lot of people were surprised but not hostile however that doesn't mean it was easy to be the first African American player, this article expresses that well. I will use the authors opinion's as a support for my own opinion's.

"First African-American NBA Players - Hoopedia." Main Page - Hoopedia. Hoopedia/ NBA.com. Web. 06 Jan. 2012. <http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=First_African-American_NBA_Players>.
This source focuses less on the integration aspect of Earl Lloyd and more on how he played. It gives statistics and analysis of his impressive career as an NBA player but does mention his unique situation. I will use this to show how black players thrived in the NBA and how that resulted in the NBA being primarily black now.

Clifton, Nathaniel. "Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton Biography." Bibliography.com. Web. 06 Jan. 2012. <http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2338/Clifton-Nathaniel-Sweetwater.html>.
This is the bibleography of the second professional African American basketball player he speaks alot about how Earl Lloyd helped him in his way but also how he helped Earl Lloyd because they both signed contacts with in months of each other. I will use this to show the support of that era for integration not just in sports but in everything.

-"Our New Black Fives Photo Archive | Black Fives." Home | Black Fives. Black Fives, 3 Feb. 2011. Web. 05 Jan. 2012. <http://www.blackfives.com/our-new-black-fives-photo-archive/>.
This source provides a gallery of pictures that are all useful to show how in older times not only did african american players look different but all players did. Sports have changed over time and pictures are hard to find from the oldest times so this source gives me visual help.

-Hawkins, Michael. "Basketball Pioneer Earl Lloyd." West Virginia Division of Culture and History. WV. Web. 05 Jan. 2012. <http://www.wvculture.org/goldenseal/spring09/lloyd.html>.
This article is about how Earl Lloyd was a pioneer for basketball and did something that should always be remembered. I will use this source to show how a pioneer is a unique spectacle and show what type of group Earl Lloyd is in.

Bonocorsi, John. "Integration of the NBA." Upload & Share PowerPoint Presentations and Documents. SlideShare, 28 May 2007. Web. 06 Jan. 2012. <http://www.slideshare.net/jbonacorsi/integration-of-the-nba>.
This is a PowerPoint presentation on the history of integration is all sports not just basketball. With this i can compare and contrast basketballs integration with other sports and see how they interacted/ affected each other.

Spencer, Adam. "Top 25: Black History's Integration of Pro Basketball - NBA - Yahoo! Sports." Yahoo! Sports - Sports News, Scores, Rumors, Fantasy Games, and More. Yahoo.com, 26 Feb. 2011. Web. 06 Jan. 2012. <http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ycn-7946548>.
This is an article highlighting 25 important moments in the full integration of the NBA. Ive focused my articles specifically on the first black players however this shares information on all the events before and after the signing of Earl Lloyd.

Wormser, Richard. "The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow . Jim Crow Stories . Jackie Robinson Integrates Baseball | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. PBS. Web. 06 Jan. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_jackie.html>.
This is an article specifically on Jackie Robinson, and his journey into the pro’s and what he meant to all sports. Jackie was an inspiration for Earl Lloyd. So I can use this to add information on why Jackie was an inspiration for Earl Lloyd.
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