Shrine Bowl

The Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, an all-star high school football game between North Carolina and South Carolina prep players, was first held in Charlotte in 1937.  It became the target of controversy in 1965 when black players accused bowl officials of exempting them due to race.  A lawsuit was filed in the Western District of North Carolina by various African Americans against the Charlotte Park and Recreation Commission and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education for discriminating against blacks in the Shrine Bowl.

A newspaper article from November 1965 interviews Kelly Alexander, president of the local NAACP chapter, who notes that predominantly-black leagues send their players to the Youth Bowl in Winston-Salem, sponsored by black Shriners.  An attached article notes that Kirkpatrick and Harris Woodside, a white player, were invited to the Youth Bowl, but since the event is not sanctioned by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association they are not allowed to accept the invite.

The SB ultimately decided to start inviting players from the predominately-black leagues, a moved backed by the North Carolina High School Athletic Commission, the black high school athletic body.