Sports
Black athletes don’t even have a level playing field with the anti-DEI movement. That’s white people’s job.
On February 20, 25 white Republican members of the Alabama State Senate introduced themselves SB129a bill to essentially eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in public institutions in the state.
The proposed bill not only prohibits any “state agency, local board of education, or public institution of higher education from sponsoring any diversity, equity, and inclusion programs or maintaining any office, physical location, or department” dedicated to DEI or similar “divisive concepts,” it gives also gives agencies the power to “discipline or discharge” employers and contractors who violate the law. While the proposal allows for personal funding, it prohibits students, faculty and staff at public higher education institutions in Alabama from applying for personal or federal funding that supports diversity, equity and inclusion.
Alabama’s caucaity legislative act reflects enacted laws Arizona, Kentucky, Oklahomaand a minimum of 21 other states. On March 1, the University of Florida complied with the governor’s executive order. Ron DeSantis Law Pausing funding for diversity spending by terminating all DEI-related positions. UF’s decision drew a sharp rebuke from Gator football legend Emmitt Smith, who issued a statement regarding Twitter suggesting that college athletes use their platform to talk out. More importantly, Smith felt no have to let white people off the hook.
“We cannot continue to trust that a leadership team of the same background will make the right decision when it comes to equality and diversity,” he added. Smith wrote on Twitter. “To the MANY minority athletes at UF, please be aware of this University decision that, without any oversight, closes the door to other minorities and speaks out about it. And for those who think it’s not your problem and stay on the sidelines and say nothing, you are complicit in supporting systemic problems.”
Translation: You have to be crazy in the event you think white people will ever use their power to dismantle racist systems built by white people. And white individuals who do nothing, I blame you all too.
Smith wasn’t the only distinguished figure to specific displeasure with the right-wing attack on diversity, equality and inclusion. In a series of tweets, Birmingham, Alabama, Mayor Randall Woodfin, who leads certainly one of the U.S The blackest citieshe said he had “no problem with providing classes for black parents and athletes at other out-of-state institutions.”
It’s also about a strong-arm robbery.
Woodfin notes that taxpayers wa 27% Black the state foots the bill for giant, mostly white public universities like the University of Alabama (11% Black) and Auburn University (4.5% black). But Woodfin didn’t put the onus entirely on black athletes to dismantle institutional whiteness. While the state’s recent anti-DEI proposal will likely exacerbate this systemic theft, the two-term mayor notes that coaches, fans and lawmakers don’t appear to have a problem with DEI after they literally parachute into a school district that’s 99% non-white recruit athletes who will add to the ongoing generational wealth generators fueled by black taxpayers and student-athletes.
“These athletic directors, coaches and representatives of these flagship programs will actively come to Birmingham, land a helicopter on the high school campus, sit down at Big Mom’s house and say, ‘We want your child to come to our school to play football,’” basketball,” Woodfin said. “At the very same time, in the same breath, the same institutions are saying, ‘We’re not going to support programs that support you offline or off the basketball court. Or consciously support diverse faculty and staff and professors. We’re going to make it illegal.
“My disappointment stems from the fact that chancellors and presidents have not said anything,” he added. “The coaches and sports directors didn’t say anything. Don’t tell me you want these Black people on your sports fields and basketball courts, but you won’t support them anywhere else on campus. Why should they come? Why should they play for you?”
In addition to using his “bully bully pulpit to call out any form of injustice or any immoral law at all times,” the two-term mayor is encouraging athletes, parents, community members, Black student unions and other student organizations to arrange against SB129. ON Wednesdayover 100 alabama college students from across the state gathered at the statehouse to challenge lawmakers. More than 5,000 interested parties signed the act Petition protect diversity, equity and inclusion in the country. And if all else fails, Woodfin desires to hit them in the pocket.
In 2020, after serving on the Birmingham Department of Youth Services, the district’s Economic Opportunity Commission and as president of the Birmingham City Schools board, Woodfin formed The Birmingham Promise, which provides scholarships, financial aid and academic support to any Birmingham City Schools graduate who desires to attend a two- or four-year college in the state. The initiative has provided greater than $5 million in tuition assistance through 2023, including thousands and thousands in donations from corporate sponsors and individuals who have pledged to support causes similar to diversity, equity and inclusion in the wake of the George Floyd rebellion in 2020, Woodfin wondered what would occur if leaders used their influence and connections to steer corporate donors to present dollars to programs like the Birmingham Promise moderately than to institutions that espouse divisive white supremacist ideas.
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“I can literally go to public and corporate leaders in Birmingham and say, ‘What are you doing to support diversity?’ What are you doing to support equality? What are you doing to support social inclusion?” Woodfin said. “What are you doing in the private sector to offset this? As a leader, I can remind them of what they have voluntarily committed to. We cannot allow them to hide behind…state laws that prohibit the use of public tax dollars to support DEI. These are conversations I can have.”
While Birmingham advantages from the state The $200 Million College Football Economythe Morehouse alum reiterated that he has no problem organizing an effort to discourage athletes from attending these historically anti-black colleges. Like Smith, Woodfin believes that athlete influence mustn’t be the only line of defense against white Republican power plays.
In Kentucky, senators pressed repeatedly bills banning schools “expenditure of any resources or funds for diversity equality, inclusion and belonging or political or social activism.” A University of Louisville professor working at the intersection of DEI and sports noted that – because of the competitive nature of faculty sports – athletic departments at predominantly white institutions will feel the impact of those regressive initiatives even if Black student-athletes do nothing.
“College athletes were celebrated for following the rules and not exploiting their individual power,” said a Louisville instructor who spoke anonymously to guard their employment. “But what about companies using name, image and likeness agreements to sell products? Why should local corporations and supporters who support these legislators get a pass?”
Far-right wingers in Alabama may have inadvertently banned college sports.
Most universities have a compliance office to avoid violating regulations governing college athletics. According to NCAA Division I Athletic Regulations, each lively institution must “conduct an equity, diversity and inclusion review at least every four years and provide written confirmation of completion to the national office.” By declaring that students, employees, and contractors are prohibited from “participating in or participating in any diversity, equity, and inclusion program or in any training, orientation, or course,” Alabama’s recent Jim Crow quasi-decree apparently could make the completion of this The NCAA will change into an illegal requirement. In fact, the law would prohibit public universities from “sponsoring… or maintaining(maintaining) any office, physical location, or department that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion,” essentially defunding six officials inside Auburn compliance department. Anyway, using state, federal and NCAA funds to attain mission “encouraging diversity and equal treatment of all” – the entire compliance office can be illegal under the recent Alabama law.
Because the law doesn’t allow schools to “authorize or disburse funds, apply for or accept grant, federal or private funding” for these “divisive concepts,” Alabama colleges may not find a way to compete for 26 NCAA $10,000 scholarships dedicated to “ethnic minorities and women”. Does Alabama’s law conflict with Title IX law, which “prohibits schools receiving federal funds from discriminating on the basis of sex in their programs or activities?” Will administrators and coaches at Alabama’s seven Division II schools be fired in the event that they file a lawsuit? NCAA Diversity Grants?
“If I were a student or professor at the University of Alabama, I would be running towards the transfer portal,” commented a University of Louisville faculty member. “Ultimately, students will choose universities where they feel safe and supported. Black athletes are no different. Eventually, these universities will begin to lose professors, coaches, players and staff to universities that do not prohibit being black. Laws have consequences and this will all come down eventually. The numbers don’t lie.”
When asked if HBCUs stand to learn from this exodus, the Auburn insider noted that 52 of the 101 HBCUs are public institutions, which suggests they’re subject to the same discriminatory regulations. “Don’t forget – even though large colleges are majority white, they are not white-owned,” the Auburn insider added. “They belong to
“There is no bigger Bama fan than me,” Woodfin added. “But I am also a fan and we cannot afford to remain silent.”
You too, white people.
Michael Harriot is a author, cultural critic and master-level Spades player. His book Black AF History: The Unwhitewashed Story of America will likely be published in September.
Tampa, Florida – Sarah Strong from the University of Connecticut is the best first -year student in university basketball – men or women. This could seem blasphemous in the season by which everyone said that the distinction belonged to the prince of the striker Cooper Flagg.
But while Duke was eliminated from the men’s tournament on Saturday, a 24-point 15-point performance against southern Carolina on Sunday, he helped raise Uconn to victory 82-59 and national championships.
In 40 seasons, Geno Aurimmy as a Huscus coach, Uconn had several well -known first -year students. Thanks to the Strong performance not only on Sunday, but in the entire tournament and the Uconn season, they left fingerprints throughout the school and the history of the tournament.
She became the first first 12 months student in history with 20 points and 15 rebounds in the national title game. Strong was the third first 12 months student with 20 points each in the national semi -final and the national match for the championship. She became the first first 12 months student in Uconn’s history with 4 20-point matches in a single NCAA tournament and the first first 12 months student of Uconn with three easy 20-point matches in the tournament.
She also set a record of points in a single NCAA tournament.
Paige Bueckers, who won its first national championship on Sunday, is clearly the star of Uconn. Azzi Fudd gives the tone to the team. But Strong was the Uconn Everything engine this season – bouncing with revenge, shooting him if mandatory and playing in a strangling defense for the best player of the opponent.
Auriemma said that he saw it strongly when he watched her as the tenth grader.
“When I saw Sarah played in high school, in the 10th grade, I couldn’t think of a woman’s player to compare her,” said Auriemma. “I said,” She is Charles Barkley. ” I said, “It is great that the game is playing.
“I just think that when you have a child who is so young-he knows the game so well and has the ability, regardless of the situation on the pitch, regardless of what part of the court, no matter what he calls, it has the opportunity to do this-it is very rare at professional basketball players, and even more so 19-year-old first year student.”
Carmen Mandat/Getty Pictures
In the season, critics and a few coaches complained to a coach from South Karolina Dawn Staley for packing their team from All-Americans McDonald’s. Strong to All-American South Karolina didn’t get. She was the best recruit in school 2024.
In Sunday’s defeat for southern Carolina, a Sunday of Sunday appeared, when the difference between an actual first -year and wonderful student became visible.
The moment took place with 39 seconds in the third quarter, Uconn leads 59-40. A talented first -year student in Southern Carolina, Joyce Edwards, fouled strong and put her on the line. When Edwards left the game, clearly frustrated, strong – normally stoic – he sank two fouls coldly. At that moment, Strong already had 17 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots.
Then the distinction became visible: Edwards was an actual first 12 months student. Strong is wonderful.
She grew up in the game and around him. Mother Strong, Feaster Allison, is the vice chairman for team operations and organizational development in Boston Celtics. Feaster was a Harvard star and played WNBA. Father Strong, Danny Strong, played collegially in the state of North Carolina and abroad for 15 years.
During the tournament, colleagues from the Strong team consistently described her as a player who is smart and mature outside her years. They call her an excellent player who avoids the ups and falls.
She liked the unbelievable season of the first 12 months, and her statistics line screams: Big East Freshman of the Year. Associated Press the second ALL-American team. Medium 16 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.3 thefts and 1.6 blocks per game.
Strong is strength.
Thien-an Truong/ISI PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES
When Feaster watched his daughter on the stage of the championship on Sunday, I asked her about the source of strongholds.
Feaster said he was going beyond basketball.
“I think it’s faith,” she said. “I think it is faith in this process, faith in his purpose. God has put her here for some reason. She is who she is and I am simply grateful.”
Asked how she felt watching her daughter experiences the moment of the championship, Feaster said: “The only emotion I have is simply pure gratitude for all this. You don’t reach this point, without going through some things and many victims, a lot of fights, a lot of conversations, a lot of joy and a lot of pain.”
When Father Strong observed the fall of confetti, he thought of all the years of sacrifice, the exertions by which his daughter put in.
“It took a lot of prayer, a lot of time and supervising the whole process,” said Danny Strong. “She knew that she wanted to be from the sixth grade there. It was in her heart. I am definitely glad that we had the opportunity to be here and on stage, as it is now.”
Strong journey is just starting and can probably be continued in Uconn. Unlike Flagga, which is to depart Duke after one season to the NBA, Strong will probably spend the next three years in Uconn competing for the championship and maybe developing in the next super -star of the program.
I asked Danny Strong what his expectations for his 19-year-old daughter.
“Be humble, stay hungry, continue working and continue working until you are ready to hang your shoes,” he said. “No matter what you do, no matter what you achieve, or grateful, stay praying and work hard. That’s all.”
He almost guaranteed that the next three years Strong can be spent in Storrs in Connecticut.
“Oh yes, definitely,” he said. “We brought her up to be a closed and loyal person. When you start something, you’ll end up. We won’t jump and do all these crazy things.”
This season was crazy enough. Their daughter is the best first -year student in university basketball. Period.
And now he is the country’s champion.
Sports
The Star of the USC Juju Watkins is a player of the year AP and only the fourth second second -year student who won this honor
Juju Watkins, a sensational second -year student who led the southern California to the best season For almost 40 years he was honored on Thursday as a bascollegal Baskollegal -Baskollegal -College.
Watkins, whose Trojans won the title of the Great Ten Season for the first conference crown in 31 years, received 29 votes from the 31-person national media panel, which is voting AP TOP 25 Every week. Hannah Hidalgo from Notre Dame got the other two. Both were the first team AP All-Americans.
“I think that such a significant prize is that it was a year that had no talents and stars, and Juju found a way to raise himself and his team,” said Civil Lindsay Gottlieb coach.
Watkins became the fourth player who won the award in his second year, joining Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris (2007) and Uconn Stars Maya Moore (2009) and Breanna Stewart (2014). AP first began to award the prize in 1995, and Watkins is the first player of Trojans who won it.
“He does many things that are not easy,” said Gottlieb. “One thing is to say that it is a generational talent, but another to do this and endure the names such as Sten, Maya and Courtney Paris.”
Watkins is already in the top ten on the list of OPERATE OF TIME TIME, taking sixth place in only two years. It had a mean of 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists before cutting its season in the NCAA tournament with ACL injury He suffered in the second round against Mississippi State.
Watkins raised the game against the best opponents. In six matches with teams in AP TOP 10 scored a mean of 26.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks during shooting 35.4% from behind the 3-point line.
“At the greatest moments she achieved the best of all,” said Gottlieb. “I thought that she really learned to dominate and strengthen the others throughout the year.”
Watkins is already one of the best draws in sport Support offers Fit and see her in person hotter ticket.
The average attendance at the Trojan house increased to 5932 this season from last year’s 4421. Stars resembling Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, Jason Sudeikis, Michael B. Jordan and Sanaa Lathan, who appeared in “Love & Basketball”, one of Watkins’ favorite movies, appeared. A year before the arrival of the attendance, it was a mean of 1037.
“It is difficult to miss Snoop Dogg in your non -standard jacket,” said Gottlieb. “It happened organically and genuinely. She decided to stay at home and care for her city and has magnetism to attract people. In this way she wears herself. She is confident, but very humble and faithful to her community. It is amazing that to see her influence.”
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San Antonio – asked the way it is coaching against the guardian Auburn, Tahaad PettiFord in highschool, coach Roselle Catholic (NJ), Todd Decker, offers fast praise: “His heart, speed and ability to shoot the ball – is a complete package.”
Asked if there was a game, he saw all these attributes on the exhibition, Decker – his mood changes – he’s silent.
“I would prefer to talk about anything else in my life,” said Decker, his voice on the phone becomes softer. “So what happened in this game.”
In “That Game” PettiFord had a ball along with his Hudson Catholic team three time beyond regulation, just a moment after he tied the sport at the tip of the regulation with the 3-point questioned.
“We tried to deny the ball at the end of the first overtime, but he gets it, takes three drible and banks significantly outside the NBA 3-point line,” said Decker, whose team eventually lost in double time beyond regulation.
“I still regret that I don’t pollute him. Probably one of the stupidest decisions I’ve ever made.”
The PettiFord game within the NCAA tournament last month showed that perhaps Decker shouldn’t be so difficult for himself. PettiFord has a median of 17.3 points in his 4 NCAA tournament matches – he’s related to Johni Broome, a national player of the Sports Year, since the team wins the leader after the season – and provides a high level of trust for the first 12 months, which began just one colleague start.
“I’m ready for a moment,” said PettiFord after the victory of Auburn over Michigan State in the ultimate of the southern region last weekend. “I want to win it all.”
While PettiFord was replaced as a point guard at Hudson Catholic, where he finished the senior season on the thirty fifth place in ESPN 100, coach Auburn Bruce Pearl immediately predicted him within the role apart from a distributor.
“Tahaad is a shooter; he will be one of the fastest, fastest, most explosive guards I’ve ever had,” said Pearl Montgomery advertisers in April last 12 months. “I feel I’ll attempt to play with him from the ball and let him do what he does.
“Get buckets.”
In his opinion, PettiFord in 2024 turned out to be a prophet. When Auburn won Stan Michigan, winning over Michigan and Michigan State last weekend, PettiFord’s ability to twist the corner and lead the road was an art that could possibly be afraid.
https://twitter.com/cbsports/status/1906464283895963791
“It can really go both ways, especially with his right hand,” said Jase Richardson, Michigan State Guard who had experience against PettiFord on the Aau track. “I feel that he is really solid on my right hand, so it is in a sense in a sense both of them.”
In addition to its fearless ability to guide the belt, PettiFord also showed coverage outside the arch.
https://twitter.com/cbsports/status/1905831620600344859
“PettiFord easily shoots six feet behind the line,” said Creighton Greg McDermott coach before he saw PettiFord scored 23 points in Auburn’s win within the second round. “So it stretches the defense a little further.”
Playing within the experienced team of Auburn, PettiFord got here this season as the one team of McDonald’s All-American. What he didn’t bring is the first or inflated ego attitude.
“He came in, but he came, wanting to learn, wanting to compete and wanting to join what we built,” said Broome, the one chestnut player who won the National Player of the Year award. “This definitely makes him special. He enters the field every night, tries to win to win.”
And PettiFord has this influence without noise, which will be expected from the All-American highschool, which apparently has a talent for the starter.
“I don’t think I have ever had a player who was as good as Tahaad, who never started and had the least noise from the player or his family,” said Pearl of PettiFord, who began one starting this season. “It simply wasn’t a factor. His dad loves him and trains him hard and wanted him to play for someone he knew that he would train him hard.”
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
PettiFord’s achievements turned out to be an indignant guardian of the mix. While Auburn mentions him as 6 feet-1, PettiFord says he really has lower than 6-0, but its size isn’t an obstacle.
“This is the only thing his dad (Travis PettiFord, who played in the state of Montclair), when he grew up, he always played him, even though he was small,” said Pearl. “He played guys older than him all his life. So what is the difference in the NCAA tournament?”
There is not any difference since the NCAA PettiFord performance was on a par with each player on this 12 months’s 4.
“He is only a special player; few first -year students are built like him,” said guard Auburn Denver Jones. “Some people understand that. Tahaad has it.”
This “this” that PettiFord left many North Jersey victims.
“We, as the staff, one day said that he was the only child who puts us fear in us,” said Kevin Diverio, the predominant coach at Don Bosco High School in Ramsey, New Jersey. “We knew it would be good at a collegiate level. We didn’t know it would be so good, so fast.”
For Nick Mariniello, the predominant coach at Hudson Catholic, the scale has been obvious since he saw PettiFord within the eighth grade.
“He was always a bizarre athlete, he was always hard -working and always rats in the gym,” said Mariniello. “Lights are never too bright for him. It is simply unique.”
What Mariniello appreciates probably the most in PettiFord is his loyalty, a feature that disappears in an era through which continuous movement amongst players also increases at highschool level.
“Often, guys who are talented go to national scholastic programs that have the best players from all over the country,” said Mariniello. “On the day when loyalty is a one -way street, I never felt like I had to surround him with a wall. He remained in the same school for four years he was very impressive.”
It is apparent that PettiFord is built in a different way and that the respect he earned in Auburn and New Jersey is authentic.
Even amongst trainers he terrorized.
“I am still haunted by what happened in this game,” said Decker concerning the Catholic Catholic classic classic classic classic. “But I love it when a kid with a T -shirt is great, we all inflate. He is such a talented child and it’s nice to see how he is successful on the largest stage.”
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