By Kevin Jefferies
Commerce – Texas A&M University-Commerce officials are not satisfied with the response from Disney over racially charged scenes depicting the university and Commerce in the movie Glory Road. University President Dr. Keith McFarland said the response received from Walt Disney Studios chairman Richard Cook read more like an explanation and justification than an apology for inaccuracies casting a negative light on the former East Texas State University and the City of Commerce.
Glory Road follows the 1966 NCAA champion Texas Western team that was the first to start five black players in a championship game. In the movie, the team travels to Commerce to play East Texas State, now known as A&M-Commerce. Fans are seen yelling racial slurs and throwing food and drinks at the players and the team later enters their hotel room to find racial slurs painted in red across the walls.
The two teams did play, but in El Paso, not in Commerce.
In Disney's response, Cook says since the movie was not a documentary, some events had to be condensed in order to convey the life and times of the events, and that it was not the intent of Walt Disney Pictures to unfairly depict any group or community.
McFarland said that statement seems to be a contradiction, since East Texas State and Commerce were explicitly singled out in the film.