By Rebecca Xu
<[email protected]>

On Saturday, Nov. 15, from 2:30 to 4 p.m., North Central High School will host a free public event called “Dialogue with George Taliaferro: Living Hoosier Legend” in the Barbara S. Wynne Tennis House, as well as a formal dinner from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Both events require a reservation form, and the dinner has a student ticket price of 25 dollars and an adult ticket price of 50 dollars.

“Numerous high school students are attending the dinner. The dialogue is more informal and less of a tribute to Mr. Taliaferro,” Helen Moser Petersen, president of the Hamilton County Tennis Association (HCCTA), which is organizing both events.

George Taliaferro, a resident of Indiana and an Indiana University graduate, is best known for being the first African-American drafted into the NFL. At the event Taliaferro will speak about his life experiences and his book, Taliaferro: Breaking Barriers from the NFL Draft to the Ivory Tower.

“Google George Taliaferro and his wife Viola and you’ll wonder why every Hoosier does not know who they are,” Petersen said.

Students that attend the dialogue or read Taliaferro’s book can receive two community service hours for organizations such as NHS or Key Club.

The dialogue is part of HCCTA’s annual Community Reads program, which started in 2005 from a grant given by the United States Tennis & Education Foundation.