The CSUSB Palm Desert Campus Chapter of the Ford Leadership Forum / Gerald R. Ford Presidential Fellows Program will host a screening of “Black and Blue: The Story of Gerald Ford, Willis Ward and the 1934 Michigan-Georgia Tech Football Game” on Thursday, Oct. 15, from 4-6:30 p.m. in the campus’s Indian Wells Center for Educational Excellence Building, Room 120.

The documentary explores the story of Willis Ward, the University of Michigan’s lone Black football player in 1934, and the pressure placed on the university to bench him before a game against Georgia Tech, which refused to play against a Black athlete. Ward’s teammate and close friend, Gerald Ford, future president of the United States, threatened to quit the team in protest.

Long before becoming president of the United States, Ford faced a defining choice about leadership, friendship and racial injustice. The documentary examines that moment and its lasting significance.

Following the screening, a panel discussion will take place focusing on the issues of character in leadership and making tough choices, with Matthew Smith, interim vice president for student affairs at CSUSB; Edna Martinez, associate vice president and administrator in charge of the Palm Desert Campus; and Avi Rodriguez, executive director of student engagement and completion at the Palm Desert Campus.

Seating is limited, and attendees are asked to RSVP by Tuesday, Oct. 13, by completing the online registration form. A trailer for the documentary is available online.

The CSUSB Palm Desert Campus is located at 37500 Cook St., Palm Desert. The event is free, but visitors must purchase a parking permit through the parking dispenser located in the campus parking lot or through the ParkMobile service (signs are located throughout the parking lot.)

About the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus: The CSUSB Palm Desert Campus is dedicated to providing a transformative educational experience in the Coachella Valley. With a focus on academic excellence and community engagement, the campus offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs designed to meet the diverse needs of its students and the region.

For more information about the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, contact Mike Singer in the Office of Marketing and Communications at msinger@csusb.edu or (760) 341-2883, ext. 78107, or visit the PDC website at www.csusb.edu/pdc.