EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – To close out Black History Month, SIUE Athletics hosted a special screening of the film The Loyola Project on Feb. 28. The film is an independently produced documentary by O'Malley Creadon Productions.

The Loyola Project celebrates the 1963 NCAA basketball champion Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers won the NCAA title while featuring four Black players in the starting lineup.

SIUE was one of a limited number of schools across the country chosen to screen the film as part of the 63 for 63 Screening Series presented by Northwestern Mutual. 

SIUE Athletics Associate Athletic Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Dr Venessa A. Brown acquired the rights to the screening and organized the event held in the Cougar Pavilion.

"The screening of The Loyola Project was an educational opportunity for our student-athletes, community partners, Edwardsville NAACP, and our sponsor Northwestern Mutual to reflect on the past and have hope for the future as it relates to diversity, equity and inclusion," Brown said. "We are so grateful to Northwestern Mutual for sponsoring this film for 62 other universities in the United States. We are starting a national conversation on what it means to WIN together where it pertains to race relations, competitiveness, inclusion and more importantly how we are stronger together and must remain 'In it to Win it!' We will continue to show this film and pay respect to the 1963 Loyola Rambles who changed the game of basketball." 

Approximately 80 people attended the screening, including members of SIUE's men's and women's basketball programs.