Friday, October 30, 2009

Jim Brown Hoping to Score Social Change

Jim Brown was once considered the greatest running back in the history of football.

He's so much more than that now. Actor and athlete Jim Brown says 'his dream is to 'be a catalyst for social change.'

Brown, an NFL Hall-of-Famer turned actor turned social activist, spoke in front of an attentive crowd at Williams College's Chapin Hall on Thursday night. The lecture, "A Night with a Legend: Jim Brown in His Own Words," was sponsored by the Williams College athletic department, the Griffin Society, leadership studies and the Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity.

The football legend gave students, faculty members and local residents a little history of his life and a big dose of what he believes in. Always known as a controversial figure, Brown said that in the United States, "if you're too outspoken, you're going to be controversial."

Brown's message on Thursday night was mostly uplifting, although he still was able to splash in a few humorous moments mixed in between some tough talk about racism. Introduced by Ephs baseball player Jamaal Johnson as a "legend in sports excellence and a true role model for social justice," Brown quickly corrected Johnson when he also called him "the greatest athlete of all time."

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