Get your facts straight. Desegregation of TC Williams happened in 1965 not in the 70's. In fact it was a merger of 3 schools which combined to make TC Williams. Because of the large student body, they had a bigger talent pool which led to their success.
That happened in 1971 , TC Williams , Hammond ( Gerry Bertier in the beginning of the season in the film tells coach Boone " I want all my boys from Hammond as starters ! " ) and GW .
Remember the titans is the greatest movie ever at least in my book and all those actors who was a part of that movie were the greatest actors ever, and the young lady who played coach Yost daughter was just spell bounding dynamic.
I am about the same age as Ronnie Bass, I was a military brat since my Dad was in the Military when I was born and the affirmative action program was shoved on me at an intellectual (not a personal or human level) when I was in School. My township was integrated before I started school so far as I know. I don't know what transpired in the town or if people hated each other when the Black School was closed and they were all sent to the Township schools. So far as I ever saw the black and white kids all got along and there was good relations in the town all around. When I was asked about integration I don't know much about politics or stuff in the South and such so I always answered based on my own town where people basically seemed to bet along with one another. Mom was the most hostile. She was always reminding me that "they" were sinners and not fit and such but I guess I took after Dad and the reality that he was in the Military with both blacks and white. There are a lot of programs around the "Beltway" both in Washington, DC and also Virginia and Maryland that are experimental social and sociological programs and so I wonder if the decision of the Colonel to bring his boy to Alexandria was inspired more by the Government and Military interest in integration than a personal choice or personal decision. Given the race hatred you see I guess I have to suggest that probably force was and may still be necessary to push whatever agenda the political types are pushing. Although actually when I left college I had been prepared for the possibility that I might have to work with Blacks. Basically I've found blacks to be hostile and they don't like me and for all of the reality that I lived in a town and went to school where Black and White studied together I even got some hatred and hostility from simply answering a question about affirmative action and Blacks as basically thinking things were going well in my own local school. There may have been more underlying hatred of integration even in my northern small town than I knew. I do know that for Ronnie Bass his live appears to have turned out better and his story better than anything I've experienced. And I wonder if Dad's decision to leave the military had something to do with this. America wants a strong military and a strong national defense but they don't always treat veterans very well. And the reality that force is necessary for integration may be a reason for this. Quite honestly, I have never seen or heard a genuine debate where people on both sides of this issue - good people so far as I can tell - have actually sat down and presented their arguments in a sane, rational manner without name calling and such. None of the kids in this film seem to be radicals. They seem to be a lot like me ... basically faced with a situation and having to live with it. They were threatened with not being able to play football - perhaps the only part of school some of them like. As I recall, I was threatened if I did not show support for government action when I was young. It's just that there has never been anything in the way of rewards for any of this stuff in my case. I guess they'd say there is still a lot of work to do.
My school disegregated in 1976, after I went to a high school that won the NorCal 5A Championship - 95% white - I'm Polynesian mix of everything, but loved it there. Hated my new high school. I even hated my own minority race, at first. Front line was compared to Dallas Cowboy front line and the biggest of them all was a very popular Islander that scared the living shit outta me. We actually became friends cuz of a stupid Vocabulary class we had together and he'd tell everyone I was the funniest guy he'd ever met. Made me a popular guy. Fast forward 45 years: His daughter is my daughter-in-law. We have a beautiful TALL grand daughter and a really beefy 15-year old grandson. But, he doesn't get to play football, to both his grandpas' chagrine. He's well over 300 lbs now. We hug when we see each other at gatherings and he still laughs at everything I say.
Probably my all time favorite movie! Lots of life lessons can be learned from this movie but, I have to say the star of the movie was not Denzel Washington, tho he did a great job as usual but, the very young Hayden Panettiere stole every scene she was in.
The high school was desegregated 6 years before the events in the movie. By 1971 everyone was getting along and the team was winning. The movie takes ALOT of cinematic liberties with what really happened.
I want to pay homage to Ronnie Bass father who said in the movie. "If blacks and whites can fight a war together, then why can't they play football together." His father's decision to send his son to a southern-state and integrated school system in the 1970s helped win a state championship. Fantastic
@@ErichVonCartmann Mr. Erich, "our" minds are made upon this subject matter. Two commenters agree with you, sixty-three commenters agree with me and this "True Story." at this time. Thanks for making me worthy enough to comment and disagree with my statement
Mr@@traceyscott909 Sir, 63 likes just means 63 people enjoy Fantasy. Most of what happened in the Movie "Remember the Titans" is pure Hollywood Fiction and Fantasy. It does not take much research to find this out. Here is one link here: thegruelingtruth.com/misc/remember-the-titans-disney-19-lies/
TMS, why did you delete your comment? You know it is OK to be fooled by Hollywood, happens to all of us. Just know this, all Hollywood movies that are "Based on a True Story" is at least 75% Fabrication. You think Remember the Titans was bad, check out Braveheart! The events in that movie was at least 90% Fabrication from Real History!
