Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story

  



Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story chronicles the racing career of Willy T. Ribbs, the first African-American male to drive in the Indianapolis 500. Despite being an immensely talented driver, participating in the rich white sport of auto racing meant that he would have to deal with racism and the ugly side of sport fandom. But Willy was not one to back down. Willy would give his critics and racist detractors something to really hate him for: being the best.
(Content Warning: Racial slurs are used several times throughout the documentary).

Released 2020; Runtime 109 minutes

Concepts
  • Career & Economic Issues: While driving skill is an important part of being successful in each type of auto racing, participating in said races costs a great deal of money. Coming from limited means and being African-American meant that finding sponsorship was difficult, which in turn meant that Willy often competed with second-rate equipment or could not afford to enter races, which limited his success and career advancement.
  • Pursuing Your Dream: Ever since he was a child, Willy wanted to race cars, and in particular, he wanted to race in the Indianapolis 500. He needed to persevere and overcome more than his fair share of obstacles to get there.
  • Race & Ethnicity Issues: Due to the racism of the time, Willy faced a great deal of discrimination, not just from fans, but from potential sponsors, other drivers, and even his own team members.