I work with athletes and tutor football players who need extra help preparing for college. This year I worked with a team with all African American players. The first playoff game that I attended was versus a team from the deep part of the state. I will call the African American team (K) and the White American team (P). Team (P) was coached by a White American and there were only two African American players. During the opening hand toss, one player from team (P) told the captain of team (K) that “Ya’ll n-words are going down today.” The referees were African Americans and they said absolutely nothing. The stadium was small so everything was close and very audible. During the entire game, the “n-word” was used. I heard a player from team (K) tell the coach that he was not going to be called the “n-word” again or he was going to hurt somebody. The coach told him to play hard and beat them with talent instead of insults or injury. I admired the coach for his advice but I felt so bad for the players. By halftime, the parents from team (K) were outraged and they told the coach that if he didn’t talk to the referees that their kids were not playing. Team (K) was ahead by 20 points and the coach tried to explain to the parents that team (P) was using mental tricks. Of course, the parents couldn’t accept that explanation. I admit that it would be hard for me to sit in the stands and hear my son being called the “n word’ for 60 minutes. Team (K) won the game and the police were called to escort team (P) off the field. The parents from team (P) were in the parking lot using all kinds of racial slurs. It was a terrible display of ignorance.
I have heard some African Americans portrayed as savages and irrational people. It’s sad that any group of people are labeled that way, but the way the White Americans reacted to the loss, I know exactly where the players from team (P) learned the behavior.
On the drive home, I was completely baffled. My heart was saddened for the two African Americans on team (P) who were a part of the negative atmosphere. I felt that they were not represented by anyone in the stands or on the coaching staff. I was so disappointed in the athletic staff, parents, fans and referees. I was very pleased that team (K) exhibited good sportsmanship, leadership and integrity.
In order for this to be an opportunity for equity, the entire group supporting team (P) would have to make a 180 degree turn. When you turn 360 degrees you’ve completed a circle and are back where you started. In order to get to a position that is opposing to where you started, you must make a 180 degree. The sad part is that those fans probably represented the majority of the town and the mindset of the generation of people there. This behavior still exists and was accepted in 2013. Will the future continue to be a constant reminder of the past? I was unaware of the racial barriers that are represented in high school sports until my son became a high school athlete. I watched a college basketball last weekend and a player was ejected for swinging at a fan. The player thought that the fan called him the “n word”. The fan denied saying that although he admitted to using demeaning words. Are some people so accustomed to hearing racially negative words that they expect to always hear them? When emotions are high, I don’t know if our minds will ever react before our mouths and ears.
fevans 