The speaker, a historian and author, shares his journey of writing a book about basketball's evolution from a slow-paced game to a high-paced sport post-WWII. During his research, he discovered a secret integrated basketball game in 1944, which led to his book 'The Secret Game'. He also uncovered early civil rights movements in the South, highlighting unknown individuals who fought against segregation before the well-known events of the 1960s.

Describe the civil rights movements that were emerging in the South during the 1930s and 1940s.

What does the author suggest about the importance of lesser-known historical events?