Nashville Children’s Theatre presents the world premiere of “Strong Inside,” the story of Perry Wallace, a Nashville pioneer on the basketball court and civil rights leader.
Wallace attended Pearl High School where he was a star athlete, known as “King of the Board” for his slam dunks. In 1966, he was recruited by Vanderbilt University — becoming the first African-American to play basketball in the segregated Southeastern Conference. Wallace excelled on the basketball court and in the classroom, while enduring racial hatred in the gym and on campus. “Strong Inside” is Wallace’s biography, written by Andrew Maraniss, and later adapted for NCT’s stage production. The play is part of NCT’s “Courageously Me!” season of shows and is supported by Vanderbilt University’s Sesquicentennial Grant.
Guests:
- Andrew Maraniss, author, “Strong Inside: (Young Readers Edition): The True Story of How Perry Wallace Broke College Basketball’s Color Line”
- Tamiko Robinson, director, NCT’s production of “Strong Inside”
- Gerold Oliver, actor cast in the role of Perry Wallace
- Ernie Nolan, executive artistic director, NCT
- Linda Wynn, historian, Tennessee Historical Commission; high school classmate of Perry Wallace
This episode was produced by LaTonya Turner.
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