Hear how C.B. Claiborne combined basketball with activism and what today’s student organizers can learn from his legacy. In Part 3 of this interview, Javier talks about his role as the Race and Sport Post-Doctoral Associate at Duke University, and the class he teaches on the History of Duke Men’s Basketball. He tells the story of C.B. Claiborne, the first Black player on the Duke Men’s Basketball team in the 1960s, who was also a student activist on campus that participated in the Allen building takeover. Javier explains the ramifications for C.B. for his activism at the time, and what led up to him eventually being honored by the University in 2023. He shares some of the discussions on race and sports that take place in his class on Duke Men’s basketball, and also shares some lessons that today’s student activists can take from C.B. Claiborne’s legacy. Finally, Javier talks about his role in the Stephen Hayes Sculpture Project at the Equal Justice Site in Montgomery, Alabama, and then reflects on how all of his travels have impacted him as a person.
The Racial Integration of Duke Men’s Basketball and Lessons from C.B. Claiborne’s Campus Activism with Javier Wallace (Ep 305)
Episode Summary
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About the Guest

Dr. Javier Wallace
Dr. Javier Wallace is known as the “Master Storyteller” and is the founder of the award-winning Black Austin Tours and the co-founder of AfroLatinx Travel. He is a scholar, entrepreneur, world traveler and is currently the Race and Sport Postdoctoral Associate at Duke University. He was a Division 1 college football player at Florida A&M University, completed his Ph.D. at The University of Texas at Austin, and his research revolves around race, class, gender, labor migration, and transnationalism of athletes from the U.S., Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. He is of U.S. and Panamanian heritage and, in all of his work, Javier seeks to amplify the themes of his lived experiences, work, and academic research through narrative storytelling.
What You'll Learn
- The story of C.B. Claiborne and the racial integration of Duke men’s basketball
- Lessons for today’s student activists from C.B. Claiborne’s campus activism in the 1960s
- How to meet Javier and Matt at Black Travel Summit 2024
Links From the Episode
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OTHER PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Dick Gregory
- Claudius B. Claiborne
- Grant Hill
- Jalen Rose
- JJ Reddick
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- LeBron James
- Mark Anthony Neal
- Monty Montgomery
- Phil Smith
- Professor Steven Hayes
- Rachel Baker
- Stokely Carmichael
- Tracie Canada
#1 BOOK THAT JAVIER RECOMMENDS
#1 PERSON WITH WHOM JAVIER WANTS TO HAVE DINNER
TOP 3 FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
TOP 3 BUCKETLIST DESTINATIONS
TOP 5 HIP-HOP EMCEES
LOCATIONS WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE
- Javier: Durham, North Carolina
- Matt: Asheville, North Carolina
UNIVERSITIES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Duke University
- Florida A&M University
- Houston Tillerson University
- Texas Southern University
- University of Texas Austin
ARTWORK MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
OTHER PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- California
- Durham
- Montgomery (Alabama)
- Phoenix
- Seattle
CONTACT AND FOLLOW JAVIER
Time Stamped Show Notes
**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.
[1:53] The Story of C.B. Claiborne, the First Black Basketball Player at Duke University
[9:37] C.B. Claiborne’s Experience at Duke in the 1960s as a Student Athlete and Activist
[16:39] The Allen Building Takeover of 1969
[22:24] Honoring the Legacy of C.B. Claiborne at Duke in 2023
[27:37] Teaching a Class at Duke on The History of Duke Men’s Basketball
[34:12] Lesson’s for Today’s Campus Activism Against the Genocide in Palestine
[38:04] The Stephen Hayes Sculpture Project at the Equal Justice Site in Montgomery, Alabama
[42:34] How to Meet Javier and Matt at Black Travel Summit in October 2024
[45:37] How Travel Has Impacted Javier
[51:06] The Lightning Round
[53:14] How to Follow and Connect with Javier