In this special episode, UH graduate students Valeria Gonzalez, Asher Gonzalez-Ortiz, and Amelia White tell the story of the Turkey Day Classic, an annual Houston football game between Third Ward’s Jack Yates High School and the Fifth Ward’s Phillis Wheatley High School that was played from 1947-1966. Relive the pageantry, parades, and excitement of the event billed as Houston’s Black Super Bowl, including one homecoming queen’s spectacular arrival at the game.
This episode was researched and recorded by Valeria Gonzalez, Asher Gonzalez-Ortiz, and Amelia White for the Center for Public History at the University of Houston.
To Learn More:
Hurd, Michael. Thursday Night Lights: The Story of Black High School Football in Texas. University of Texas Press, 2017.
Robins, Thurman W. Requiem for a Classic: Thanksgiving Turkey Day Classic, 2nd ed. AuthorHouse, 2016.
Washington, Aman and Justin Thompson. "The Turkey Day Classic, Houston's Biggest Football Rivalry." Houston History Magazine 14, no. 1, (Fall 2016): 36-41.
Listen to the Entire Oral History Interviews in the UH Libraries Special Collection:
Houston History Magazine Interview with Yates Alumni - https://av.lib.uh.edu/media_objects/6682x405k
Houston History Magazine Interview with Wheatley Alumni - https://av.lib.uh.edu/media_objects/79407x312
Music and Sound Effects Courtesy of:
https://www.freepd.com/misc.php
The Center for Public History at the University of Houston. https://uh.edu/class/cph
