Lou Montgomery, the first African-American football player at BC in 1937, at the height of the Jim Crow era, faced discrimination. “Lightning Lou”  was not allowed to play in two BC bowl games with southern teams due to the “Gentleman’s Agreement” in place at the time despite his incredible ability on the field.

Lou Montgomery: His Story is Our Story, a sequel to Lou Montgomery: A Legacy Restored, revolves around the ways in which society has chosen to address, or look past, the inequalities of racism and injustice, from the time Lou Montgomery was a young athlete growing up in Brockton, MA, through his college years. As a member of the 1940 “Team of Destiny” at Boston College, Lou Montgomery, the first Black athlete at BC, understood the significance of his role at a time when Jim Crow laws violated justice and perpetuated a racist America. Courageously teaching by example, he helped forge a path for other young Black athletes faced with being “the only,” or “the first.”

This documentary bridges Lou Montgomery’s story, beginning in the early 1930’s in Massachusetts, with contemporary experiences of high school and college student-athletes, through interviews with current and former members of Brockton High School and Boston College football teams. Through his own words and achievements, and the reflections of former members of the NFL, historians, educators/administrators, coaches, and religious leaders, Lou Montgomery, an outstanding athlete, scholar, and gentleman, continues to inspire the next generation to tackle racism, and to work together for social justice.