Harkness and Gold recall the “Game of Change”

Rosemarie Gold and Jerry Harkness with the iconic photograph that helped inspire social change.

From frightening letters from the Klu Klux Klan to a governor’s attempt to stop his states team from playing against African American players, the game between the Loyola Ramblers and Mississippi State almost didn’t happen.

But happen it did, and that one single game opened the flood gates to help end racial barriers in college basketball.

In 1963, the five starters for the Loyola Ramblers were all African American, Mississippi State was an all-white team.

Since the state of Mississippi refused to allow any team from competing against black players the MSU team snuck away in the middle of the night to travel to Michigan, where the game was to be played.

As the two team captain’s shook hands on that East Lansing floor, the court became a sea of camera flashes and history was in the making.

The Game of Change is an incredible story of how two teams fought for the right to step onto the court together at a time when segregation was the law of the land in the south.

According to an article in a Chicago publication, then governor Ross Barnett, an unapologetic segregationist, had had papers drawn up to prevent the State team from leaving Mississippi. The team made the trip at night, before they were served with the papers, and made it to East Lansing, Mich.

They lost the game to the Ramblers, 61 to 51, but the game became so well-known because Mississippi State risked so much, possibly even their lives, to play.

Former Loyola team Captain, Jerry Harkness, and Rosemarie Gold, the widow of Mississippi State Captain, Joe Dan Gold, shared the struggles endured by both teams during a special presentation held at the Fleming County Library last week.

Rosemarie spoke of the endearing friendship between the two former captains and the love and respect that has lasted a lifetime.

“It was an instant bond when our families first met”, Rosemarie said. “They are truly our family and we treasure their friendship; the memories are great, and the relationship is so special.”

Harkness echoed the same sentiment and added, “I knew right away Joe Dan and I would become friends, there was just something in his eyes that told me he was as happy as I was for the chance to play ball.”

For Jerry and his teammates, the road to success was paved with many struggles.

During the early 1960s black Americans were fighting for their civil rights as citizens and the Loyola team battled discrimination all season.

“We were the first team to play five African Americans and during the Houston game we felt the pressure from the stands. Fans hung over the railings, screaming racial slurs and throwing ice and water as our players entered and exited the court. In Chicago we were playing against Tennessee Tech and the Klu Klux Klan sent letter to us. It worried me because the letters came addressed to me at the dorm,” Harkness said.

But through it all, the team rallied on to earn their right to play basketball and eventually led them to the most important game in NCAA history; Loyola Vs. Mississippi State.

Harkness said of that famous handshake, “I went to shake Joe Dan’s hand with a smile and I could tell he was happy to be there.” Then, all of a sudden, the flash bulbs started popin’, and I thought to myself oh my goodness this is something more than a ball game, this is history.”

The evenings presentation with Rose Marie Gold and Jerry Harkness was a companion project to the Fleming County Library’s Smithsonian exhibit, Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America.