Boston's Bill Russell, civil rights icon - full Library of Congress interview

By now, most fans of the Boston Celtics know the history of legendary Boston big man Bill Russell. Twice inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (first as a player, then as a head coach) those Celtics fans may be surprised to learn Russell was a truly extraordinary human being off the court as well as on it.

The Monroe, Louisiana, native did not grow up only dealing with the racist policies and dispositions of fans for opposing teams and Boston alike. Russell actively fought it alongside giants for that cause, Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis.

To that end, Russell was interviewed for the U.S. Library of Congress’ Civil Rights history project in 2013. He documented his contributions to society and his country off the court in the fight against systemic racism that current players and recent Celtics alumni continue today.

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