Dedicating his life to making a difference in his community, Herman Boone inspired students to stand up for what they believe in April 3. As this year’s distinguished lecturer, Boone, coach of the T.C. Williams Titans, brought to light his inspirational story that became the focus of the movie Remember the Titans.

Photograph by Lacey Vandermeer
Herman Boone, this year’s distinguished lecturer, spoke to UW-P students on April 2. He discussed how racism, segregation and discrimination affected his life and career.

Boone’s first year with the Titans is depicted in the movie, but his message at his lecture was not of football. Instead, he told students to be the change they want seen in their community.

“It’s time to break the silence,” Carlos Wiley, director of the Multicultural Educational Resource Center, said as he introduced Boone. “If you believe in something, stand up and speak up.”

Although the movie was touched on, Boone’s message was the reason for the Titans’ success: understanding their differences.

“They talked to each other and knew their differences,” Boone said. “The only way to solve a problem relative to race is to talk about it.”

In correspondence with Unity Week, Boone encouraged students to talk about their differences and get to know others in their community. The only way to solve problems, and move forward as a country, is to know where people came from and why they fight for what they do, Boone said.

“He has that connection with students because of his past, and he’s living proof if you stand up, you can make a difference for what you believe in,” Janessa Kersten, a sophomore social science comprehensive major, said.

Boone suffered attacks from the Ku Klux Klan resulting in scars that he proudly bears on his body.

“I’m proud of the knot in the back of my head because I stood up to racism,” Boone said.

In a memorable scene from the movie, and the clip shown to introduce him, Boone took the players to the site of the battle of Gettysburg to show his team that what they were dealing with in their present was rooted in history.

“You don’t know what it’s like, you haven’t seen it, but I have,” Boone said of his experience with segregation. “If you don’t know about what you’re fighting for, why fight?”

Boone said race is not the only issue when it comes to diversity. “It’s not about the color of your skin, it’s about who you are as an individual.”

In Lauderhill, Fla., an area made up of 30 different cultures, citizens of the city took the time to get to know one another and talk about their differences, Boone said. As a result, Lauderhill has extremely low crime and unemployment statistics.

“It begins with each of us, you have to have the guts to act,” Boone said.

In order to not step backwards, people need to speak out against racism, even in the form of jokes at a party, Boone said.

“You change the things you can, accept the things you can’t and have the wisdom to understand the difference,” Boone said.

Boone inspired students to make a difference in their community, especially because of his down-to-earth and relatable manner, Kersten said.

“He’s just an everyday person and one of us could easily be like him if we just stood up for what we believe in,” Kersten said.