(ThyBlackMan.com) Grambling State University remains in turmoil after football players boycotted the Jackson State University homecoming game to protest unfair conditions on the team. The players are upset with both the firing of their head coach, along with cuts to their funding, among other issues.
According to ESPN, Grambling officials contacted Jackson State University to inform them of their decision not to play. The Southwestern Athletic Conference has ruled the game to be a forfeit and awarded the win to JSU. The school is also going to be fined $20,000 for the decision not to play in the game.
The players walked out of a meeting with school officials on Tuesday and then refused to show up for practice on Wednesday.
Former Grambling State coach Doug Williams sent a text to USA Today saying, “I’m proud of them boys. They took a stance.”
Well, the fact is that, I’m proud of them too.
The words “Stand Your Ground” have been used a lot this year, namely as an excuse for psychotic vigilantes to hunt down unarmed black men and murder
them in cold blood. But the “stand your ground” defense can also be used by those who are determined to stand strong against what could be considered very serious and blatant oppression, as well as unacceptable working conditions.
Grambling State has a beautiful and rich history when it comes to sports, especially football. The school once housed the greatest coach in NCAA history, Eddie Robinson. When I spoke on the campus earlier this year, I took a tour of the museum built in Robinson’s honor, and I kept a deck of playing cards highlighting his life as a source of inspiration. In fact, I consider Coach Robinson to be one of the ten people I admire the most on this planet.
The school has come a long way from the days when Robinson once walked the campus. The football program appears to be struggling, and money is tight. Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal has hammered the school with Draconian budget cuts in what some believe to be a long-term effort to rid the state (and the nation) of historically black colleges and universities. One point of protest for the players is the fact that they were being asked to ride the bus to away games as far as 800 miles from campus. Not only would it be nearly impossible to perform after such an uncomfortable ride, we must also consider the horrible impact trips like these would have on a student’s academic performance.
Not only should we support the Grambling State football players in their quest for fair working conditions, but every college athlete in the country should take notice. As a collective, the NCAA has abused collegiate athletes for decades, putting them on the road like show monkeys, all for very little compensation. Then, when a player earns a penny from his own name and likeness, the league comes down on them like they are convicted felons.
I don’t consider the program at Grambling to be nearly as corrupt and dysfunctional as some of the more prominent (and wealthier) athletics programs. Their revenues don’t match the biggest university football programs, which are run like professional sports organizations. But the players, like any worker in any industry, certainly have a right to presume that they are not destined to be helpless participants in the athletic machine, so their voices should be heard as well. Also, as the players protest cuts by the university, Grambling State students should also go to the Louisiana state capital and demand that HBCUs not be subject to funding cuts that threaten their very survival.
Despite the fact that this protest is surely a headache for Grambling State administrators, the truth is that they should also be proud of their players for standing up. The show of solidarity by the players on this team is rare in a sports world where nearly every athlete is trained to simply remain quiet and follow orders. Speaking out shows that the players are educated, conscientious and courageous, which is the recipe for an empowered human being. If every black male athlete in the country had the balls to stand up for what he believes in, black America would be a far better place to live.
Go Grambling State players, keep standing your ground. We’ve got your back and support you.
Staff Writer; Dr. Boyce Watkins
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. For more information, please visit http://BoyceWatkins.com.