When I encountered the courageous story of Charles Follis in Shelby in 1995, it has become a quiet obsession of mine to bring his story to life and give him the credit he deserves for changing the face of America. In small ways, from repeatedly winning a “free beer” in bars across America by stumping people with the question “Who is America’s first African American Pro Football Player”, to larger tributes, like the murals on the side of the courthouse in Shelby when I was Chamber President there, Jim has been trying to give Charles Follis the credit he deserves. Every major social triumph in this country has a “back story”, and though most would recognize Jackie Robinson, and give him his due credit for the battles he fought for racial equality, few have ever pondered, “how did that happen”. In a fitting tribute to “Paul Harvey’s /The Rest of the Story,” I have always searched for the answers to the question “how did that happen”?. Charles Follis was a true pioneer, who never sought out to change the world, but through his example, truly changed the face of sports, and subsequently, the way we view society.
Our society has been wrestling with inequality since the United States began, and the only answer to overcoming lies in people’s attitudes and what they convey to their children I am grateful to my parents, and the community in which I was raised, (to borrow from Branch Rickey) “to let people be people! Give people a chance to disappoint or impress you, then decide---don’t prejudge based on the color of people’s skin”. When I arrived at OSU, new friends expected me to harbor prejudices….and to the contrary…I had none. I had never been exposed to folks that mistreated others for such trivial reasons. Thanks, Mom, Dad, Don Corwin, John Pugh….and so many great “fathers” from my upbringing.
In the development of this story, I thank Mark Sebastian Jordan for so inspiring me in so many ways, and creating Malabar as a vessel for theater, Mike Petee for also helping myself stretch creatively and by writing two plays himself---and showing me I could, and Marcia Rinehart, who encouraged me to forge ahead and “just produce the play”. I am so grateful to all of you.
I present this story in hopes of contributing in some small way to improving dialog about race relations in the world, and in telling a story of achievement that may inspire young people to always reach higher than anyone ever expects them to. Thank you Charles, for running so hard that we still feel the aftermath of “The Black Cyclone” today.
I have been inspired so much, by so many….but by none so much as my partner in every endeavor, Amy K. Stoner….Thanks so much for your love, encouragement, wisdom and sense of adventure that we share!
When we work together, we can create a positive force that I hope, like Charles, will “run for the ages”!
