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Fifty years after the "Black 14," a group of activist players, was booted from the University of Wyoming football team for protesting racist treatment, the university is trying to make amends.
The university negotiated with the remaining members to determine how best to give back after derailing their academic and athletic careers, reported The Washington Post. Wyoming did not agree to the former players' proposal of honorary degrees or monetary compensation.
Wyoming officials organized an apology and historic marker for the former students during homecoming and invited them into classrooms to speak about their experiences.
The Black 14 football players wanted to wear black armbands to symbolize their unity against racism from the Brigham Young University team supporters, but the Cowboys' white coach said this violated the team's policy against protesting and cut them from the team. Many of the players were at Wyoming on football scholarships that they then lost.
A scholarship has been set up to support diverse students on campus, and the surviving Black 14 were given letterman jackets. The remaining members were welcomed back as Cowboys once again after being wronged half a century ago.
