Wyoming History Contest Winner Truly Inspired By Black 14 [VIDEO]
About this time last year, Black History Month, a freshman at Jackson Hole High School entered her history class contest. River Gayton wanted to win, but she needed to learn about an almost 50-year-old incident that became known as Wyoming's Black 14.
Researching on how 14 players were kicked off the 1969 UW football team inspired Miss Gayton. She not only won the contest that included students from other local schools, but also competed for the Wyoming State and national finals. By then, the Black 14 had become special to River. The 14 were people from Wyoming who "took a stand" in the Civil Rights era. Here is how she put it to jhnewsandguide.com
“It’s not even about the medal. I’ve become so passionate. It’s not about the project anyway.”
That passion turned into a documentary film of her own. River was invited to visit the campus in Laramie and saw the monument in the Student Union. It was sculpted in 2002, but it’s not even a full statue. As just a long arm with a fist, it’s two feet tall. River called it “beautiful” but she thought they deserved bigger.
She petitioned for a statue, preferably closer to War Memorial where the Pokes still play. If you'd like to sign, yourself, just click here. But if you're one of many in our generation who has never heard the story of the Black 14, River is still telling the story.
Frankly she’s like me, reporting on the 14 every chance I get. And frankly, River tells the story better than I do. She (uh, we) would love for you to watch her documentary.