Level Playing Field Season 1 Episode 1 - Midnight Basketball

Airdate: 2021-Sep-14

Episode summary:

Episode 1 investigates the intersection of sports, race, and social policy through a look at "Midnight Basketball" – the innovative program started in Glenarden, Maryland in 1986 to provide a haven for at-risk youths and help curb rising crime rates in the area. The successful endeavor was embraced by both President George H. W. Bush in his "1,000 Points of Light" initiative and President Bill Clinton in the 1994 Crime bill, yet still became the focus of partisan debate riddled with racial stereotypes – stereotypes that still linger to this day.

About Level Playing Field series:

Level Playing Field examines how multi-billion-dollar industries in and out of sports have historically underpaid their most valuable assets, polit...Show more >