Kentucky to the World Presents “Basketball and Brotherhood: Breaking Barriers”

Kentucky to the World returns to The Kentucky Center on Wednesday, April 12,  bringing together University of Louisville basketball legends who changed history both on and off the basketball court as part of the Republic Bank Foundation Speaker Series.

This conversation will explore the barrier-breaking era of desegregation with former UofL athletes who paved the way for future athletes of color. The program will touch on how their struggles and triumphs went on to shape their lives. As part of the evening, guests will hear from former players Wade Houston and Eddie Whitehead, who broke the basketball color barrier at U of L in 1962.

UofL Director of Development for Diversity and Engagement Valerie Combs, the first Black woman to sign a letter of intent to attend UofL on a basketball scholarship, and Judge Derwin Webb, a captain of the UofL basketball team who went on to become Kentucky’s first African-American Family Court Judge, will round out the program.

Clips from the upcoming documentary Basketball and Brotherhood: Breaking Barriers, produced by Jessica Loving, Luke Whitehead, and well-known Louisville filmmaker Fred Reynolds, will be interwoven throughout the special evening.

Community members of all ages are invited to experience this unique event on Wednesday, April 12 at 6:30 PM, reception starts at 5:30. Tickets are $30 per adult and free for students of all ages thanks to the support of the Bass Family Foundation.

College, technical school, or other higher education students must show a valid student ID, with a limit of two free tickets per ID. Student tickets can be redeemed in advance at the Kentucky Performing Arts Drive-Thru window, open Monday through Friday, from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM.  Prior to the main program, KTW will also hold a special student briefing program for local middle school through university-age students to have an opportunity for interactive conversations with our distinguished guests. Contact David Thurmond at mailto:david@kentuckytotheworld.org for more information on the student briefing program and how to register your student

*Presenters are scheduled to appear.