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The Black Cyclone: The Charles Follis Story
April 12, 2019 @ 7:00 pm
The Black Cyclone”, an original play by local resident Jim Stoner, is being presented by the Mansfield, Ohio, community, Mansfield and Richland County students, and the Northeast Community Improvment Collaborative (NECIC). It is the story of Charles Follis, the first black professional football player in America.
“The Black Cyclone” features the little known story of personal strength that was embodied in Follis. The story is set in Ohio in 1902, still in the shadow of the Civil War, and civil rights for blacks were merely a volatile talking point. Small towns were fighting for identity and respect, and were enjoying prosperity for the first time. New ways to entertain oneself became popular and many small towns began to field “Football Clubs” to compete with one another for bragging rights.
“The Black Cyclone” captures the strength of one family, how they fought to make a home in white America against a backdrop of what has become the NFL. A forgotten baseball and football legend, Charles Follis had no idea how he touched America forever by impressing those he knew. As the Black Cyclone, Follis will do what his great-niece stated at the dedication of the Wooster High School Field in his honor: “Run, Charles, run for the ages…”
Event Dates:
Friday, April 12 @ 7pm
Saturday, April 13 @ 7pm
Both Performances will be held at Mansfield Senior High School’s Auditorium. Admission is free, though donations will be accepted.