ESPN to feature film on 1950s Crispus Attucks tonight

ESPN will air a short film today during the 6 p.m. SportsCenter on the Crispus Attucks basketball team of the 1950s and its star, Oscar Robertson.

The film, called "Black Hoosiers", is part of a series by director Spike Lee centered on African-American stories that are not widely known. The show will also be available at espn.com/liljoints.

Here is the summary of "Black Hoosiers" provided by ESPN:

"Released in 1986 and revered to this day, 'Hoosiers' tells the tale of how a disgraced coach (played by Gene Hackman) led rural Milan High to the Indiana state championship against a predominantly black team. But it was a Hollywood story, not the real one, and 'Black Hoosiers' restores truth to history. The film looks at Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis, which was created to marginalize African-Americans and became a beacon for both education and athletics. And the player at the heart of its two-time state championship basketball team, Oscar Robertson, not only bears eloquent witness to the injustices of that time and place, but also proves that winning is the ultimate act of defiance."

Robertson led Attucks to state championships in 1955 and '56, winning IndyStar Indiana Mr. Basketball as a senior. The 1955 Attucks team will serve as the grand marshal for the Indy 500 parade on Saturday.