A LOOK BACK: KAPPA HISTORY
Two Kappa Gridiron Legends Receive Overdue High Honors
Fred W. 'Duke' Slater George Taliaferro
By Kevin Scott, Grand Historian
Despite the lofty ideal inscribed within the United States Declaration of Indepen- dence, "...all men are created equal," our country has fallen short of that promise since it was formed 244 years ago. Simi- larly, due to pervasise racist ideologies of many White in America, Black were restricted from participation in many sporting events alongside their White counterparts for many years. in Chicago since he was only a few months old. It was in Chicago that Slater found his love for the sport of football while playing pickup games on the street and abandoned lots with other neighborhood children. Dur- ing this time, Slater acquired the moniker ‘Duke’. Slater explained, “As a boy, I had a dog named Duke, and some- how or other the boys started calling me Duke,” a name he embraced the rest of his life. Upon enrolling in high school in 1912, he was eager to join the football program. His excitement to play football was discouraged by his father, who was concerned about Slater’s well-being as the sport was notorious for causing severe injuries and claiming the lives of several players. Football took the lives of eleven players in 1909. Due to the inherent dangers of the game, Slater’s father forbade him from playing football during his freshman year. The following year, Slater tried out for and was made a mem- ber of the football team, without his father’s knowledge or consent. His stepmother convinced his father to allow Slater to play under the condition that he not become injured. Slater concealed his injuries and created an aura of invincibility, which he became known for throughout the years. Although the school provided jerseys to the
A lthough Jackie Robinson is famously known for being the first Black to integrate Major League Baseball (MLB), this feat was not accomplished until 1947 – forty-four years after U.S. profes- sional baseball was established. The athletic prowess of the Black race had been stifled. It, therefore, was not fully realized until a few iconic and brave pioneers shattered the color barrier line, opening the door for other sports phe- noms to showcase their talents. Just as many are familiar with Robinson’s accomplishment to integrate Major League Baseball, there were others whose efforts led to end the professional football color ban. Although Marion Motley, Woody Strode, Kenny Washing- ton, and Bill Willis (KA Ψ ) are credited with integrating the National Football League (NFL) one year before Robinson, there were a few pioneers who laid the groundwork in the NFL’s formative years. Following the formal establishment of the NFL in 1920, ten Black men forged that path – among them were two men of Kappa Alpha Psi: Fred ‘Duke’ Slater and Sol Butler. Butler achieved greater fame in track and field (see Spring 2020 issue of The Journal .)
Slater was born in 1898, in Normal, Illinois, but was reared
92 | SUMMER 2020 ♦ THE JOURNAL
Publishing achievement for more than 105 years
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs