In 1958, the UB football team turned down the school’s first-ever bowl game invitation because its two Black players weren’t allowed to play.
Sixty-four years later, UB will honor the team with a mural on its North and South Campuses — one of four new public art projects expected to be installed over the summer as part of the university’s second annual Contemplative Sites project.
Launched by the Office of the Provost, the annual project installs art that intends to “not only enhance the campus, but provide for contemplation on important issues of our time,” according to a UBNow story from late February.
UB community members submitted 24 ideas for public art projects. Four ideas — a tribute to the Haudenosaunee Nation, a mural about Title IX, a South Campus walking path in the shape of a labyrinth and the aforementioned mural about the 1958 football team — were chosen by the Contemplative Sites Subcommittee to be displayed during the 2022-23 academic year.
“Our university community is incredibly creative and I hope the competition will continue to grow,” Despina Stratigakos, vice provost for inclusive excellence, said. “The more we transform our landscapes as makers and users, the more alive they become to us.”
Last year’s Contemplative Sites project featured “Progress Pride Paths,” a rainbow-colored sidewalk in Knox Quad, outside the Student Union, that celebrates the LGBTQ community.
Justin Weiss is the managing editor and can be reached at justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com
Justin Weiss is The Spectrum's managing editor. In his free time, he can be found hiking, playing baseball or throwing things at his TV when his sports teams aren't winning. His words have appeared in Elite Sports New York and the Long Island Herald. He can be found on Twitter @Jwmlb1.
