Brevard in Transylvania County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Football Team

— NC Civil Rights Trail —

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, October 9, 2023

1. Football Team Marker

Inscription. Transylvania Co. citizens won lawsuit to integrate Brevard High School, 1963. The integrated team was a 1963 AAA Co-Champion.

Erected 2022 by NC African American Heritage Commission; and William G. Pomeroy Foundation. (Marker Number 9.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education • Sports. In addition, it is included in the NC Civil Rights Trail, and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1963.

Location. 35° 13.049′ N, 82° 44.186′ W. Marker is in Brevard, North Carolina, in Transylvania County. Marker is on North Country Club Road (State Road 1116) south of High School Road, on the left when traveling south. Located beside the sidewalk on the east side of the Brevard High School grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 609 N Country Club Rd, Brevard NC 28712, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Stone Cottage (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Charter Oak (approx. 0.9 miles away); Transylvania County Walk of History (approx. one mile away); History of Silvermont (approx. one mile away); Walton War

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(approx. one mile away); St. Philip's Parish (approx. 1.1 miles away); Tree Planted in Memory of George Washington (approx. 1.1 miles away); Transylvania County Courthouse (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brevard.

Also see . . .
1. Brevard High School (1960s). Excerpt:

Because it was the South in the early 1960s amid the Civil Rights Movement, there were many white people who openly opposed the team’s integration. This was most obvious when the team was on the road. The team’s bus previously had windows broken and black ink thrown on it, the team would drive by racial slurs painted on buildings, African American players would have objects thrown at them from the stands. Amid all of this, the young men on the team bonded and became a very good football team. After going 10-1, the team made it to the state AAA championship game against Reidsville. The game was to be played on Friday, November 22nd, however, it was postponed after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy that day. The teams decided to play the game the following day, but it was clear that no one’s heart was in
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, October 9, 2023

2. Football Team Marker
(looking south • North Country Club Road is on the right)
it. The crowd and players were mostly silent, according to Coach Brookshire the atmosphere was more like a wake, and the game ended in a 0-0 tie. Brevard and Reidsville were declared co-champions and Brevard was allowed to bring home the actual trophy after winning a coin flip.

(Submitted on October 10, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Permanent marker honors Brevard High Class of '63 integration, integrated football team. Excerpt:

The Transylvania Citizens Improvement Organization took a case in March of that year to fully integrate the county's secondary schools. Brevard High was the only school in the division that also integrated its football team, becoming co-champions that same year. "Our community was one of the first communities in the state of NC that opened its doors to integration," said Keith Elliott, 1963 Brevard High School football player. "It was an accomplishment. It was not a football accomplishment, it was a community accomplishment."

(Submitted on October 10, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. About the N.C. Civil Rights Trail. Excerpt:

An initiative of the N.C. African American Heritage Commission with support from Visit North Carolina and the International Civil Rights Center & Museum, the N.C. Civil Rights Trail
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, October 9, 2023

3. Football Team Marker
(looking north • Brevard High School in right background)
will be developed with community involvement across the state. Forty to 50 sites will be designated with at least 10 in Tier I and 2 rural North Carolina counties in alignment with Gov. Roy Cooper’s Hometown Strong initiative.

(Submitted on October 10, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

4. About the N.C. African American Commission. Excerpt:

Created in 2008, the African American Heritage Commission is a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The commission works across the department to preserve, protect and promote the state’s African American history, art and culture for all people. Its endeavors include the identification of heritage sites, compiling resources for educators, extending the work of national programs such as the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom Underground Railroad, and independent initiatives including Oasis Spaces: Green Book Project.

(Submitted on October 10, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Brevard High School • Home of the Blue Devils image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, October 9, 2023

4. Brevard High School • Home of the Blue Devils

Credits. This page was last revised on December 19, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 10, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 54 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 10, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.