Another Honor For Frazier

Another Honor For Frazier
Prairie View A&M boss Named Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year
by BASN Wire Services,
POSTED: Dec 20, 2009

CHATTANOOGA, Tn. -- Prairie View A&M head football coach Henry Frazier was voted the Eddie Robinson FCS National Coach of the Year at the 23rd annual Sports Network Football Championship Awards Banquet this past Thursday night.

Frazier became the first HBCU coach to win the Eddie Robinson Award, established in 1987 in honor of the former Grambling State head coach and College Football Hall of Famer who retired as college football’s all-time winningest coach with 408 victories.

“It is a humbling honor,” said Frazier, who has posted a 36-27 record at PV in his six seasons as head coach, including an impressive 25-5 mark over the past three seasons that concluded with the 2009 SWAC Football Championship.

“It’s a great honor to be considered the top coach in your conference and it’s an even greater honor to be considered the top coach in the country.”

Frazier, who earned SWAC Coach of the Year honors after the Panthers’ 30-24 win over Alabama A&M in the Farmers Insurance SWAC Football Championship last Saturday, won the national award in the second-closest vote ever.

Frazier, who was also named the BoxToRow.com/BASN Coach of The Year earlier this week, edged Stephen F. Austin head coach J.C. Harper 237-235, in voting done by a panel of sports information directors and media who regularly cover the FCS.

The Panthers were ranked 18th in the final regular season Sports Network Poll, the highest ranking ever by a PV gridiron team. PV finished second in the final rankings in both the Sheridan Broadcasting Poll and the BoxToRow.com/BASN Polls, narrowly missing out on a Black College Football National Championship.

Additionally, Grambling State DE Christian Anthony finished fourth in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the top defensive player in the country.

Anthony, voted the 2009 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, received the second-highest total of first place votes (19), trailing only the 2009 Buchanan Award winner DE Arthur Moats of James Madison.

Alabama A&M DE Jeremy Maddox was also a finalist for the Buchanan Award, established in 1995 and named in honor of the Grambling State great and College and Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Both Anthony and Maddox were members of the 2009 BoxToRow.com/BASN HBCU All-American team. Anthony was also tabbed as the BTRC/BASN Defensive Player of the Year.

Southern QB Bryant Lee was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, awarded to the top player in the FCS. The award was established in 1987 and named for the Jackson State legend and Chicago Bear great who earned College and Pro Football Hall of Fame honors.

‘The Princess and the Frog’ Leaps to No.1 Spot

‘The Princess and the Frog’ Leaps to No.1 Spot

(December 17, 2009) - Disney’s first Black princess won her way into the hearts of millions of Americans as The Princess and the Frog to the top spot at movie theaters this past weekend, according to a report from The Associated Press.

The film, which is set in New Orleans, tells the story of hardworking chef Tiana as she meets a prince-turned-frog, who ultimately causes her to become a frog as well.

Rounding out the weekend’s top five releases were The Blind Side Invictus, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and Disney’s a Christmas Carol.

Heisman Award does not hide Alabama’s past

Heisman Award does not hide Alabama’s past
By George E. Curry
Originally posted 12/16/2009

University of Alabama running back Mark Ingram was awarded the Heisman Trophy Saturday night, the first Crimson Tide player to ever win college football’s most prestigious honor. And that is saying a lot when you consider such ‘Bama greats as Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, Lee Roy Jordan, Ozzie Newsome and Cornelius Bennett.

The sophomore sensation’s on field exploits would have never been recognized at the awards ceremony in New York, certainly not as a representative of the Crimson Tide, had it not been for the efforts of Vivian Ma-lone and James Hood, two African Americans who defied Gov. George C. Wallace’s famous 1963 “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” at Foster Auditorium.

As Ingram and his undefeated teammates prepare for the national championship game against the University of Texas on Jan. 7, 2010 school officials are pondering how best to pay proper homage to Malone and Hood in a renovated Foster Auditorium. In Tuscaloosa, Ala., my hometown, the past has finally caught up with the present.

Desegregating the state’s top tax-supported university was no easy task.

Autherine Lucy was the first African American student to enroll in the University of Alabama. She graduated from Miles College near Birmingham in 1952. While attending the Historically Black College, a friend, Pollie Myers, suggested that they apply to the all-White University of Alabama for grad school. Anticipating a protracted struggle, they sought help from the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and were assigned legendary lawyers Thurgood Mar-shall, Constance Baker Motley and Arthur Shores.

One June 29, 1955, a federal court issued an order prohibiting the University of Alabama from rejecting the two applicants based on their race. The ruling was appealed all the way to the United States Supreme Court. On Oct. 19, 1955, the High Court ordered the university to admit Lucy and her Miles classmate, Pollie Myers Hudson.

The university’s board of trustees rejected Hudson’s application, purportedly for reasons related to her con-duct and marital record. But it accepted Lucy, who enrolled on Feb. 3, 1956. On the third day of classes, however, an angry mob stormed the campus and university officials expelled Lucy, saying they could not assure her safety. (She would return decades later to earn her Masters degree in elementary education).

A second major attempt to desegregate the University of Alabama in 1963 also required the intervention of the federal government. After Autherine Lucy was expelled, hundreds of African Americans applied to the University of Alabama but were rejected. In 1963, however, three Blacks with stellar credentials – Vivian Malone, Dave McGlathery and James Hood – applied. After a federal judge ordered them admitted, only Malone and Hood decided to attend.

Segregationist Gov. George C. Wallace, whose inaugural speech advocated “segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever,” decided too he would “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” to prevent the enrollment of Malone and Hood, who were accompanied by Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach.

In a carefully orchestrated move – and by secret arrangement with federal officials – Wallace stood in the door of Foster Auditorium and gave a states’ rights speech deploring action taken by the “central government.” Malone and Hood were driven back to their dorms. Katzenbach placed a call to President John F. Kennedy, who federalized the Alabama National Guard. Katzenbach returned hours later with Malone and Hood. When Wallace again attempted to block their entry, General Henry Graham, the commander of the Alabama National Guard, told Wallace: “Sir, it is my sad duty to ask you to step aside under the orders of the President of the United States.” A silent George Wallace moved out of the way and Malone and Hood proceeded inside to register.

I had just completed my sophomore year at Druid High School and was overjoyed. After being forced to ride on segregated city buses, attend segregated schools and being directed to separate water fountains and toilets marked “White” and “Colored” in my hometown, the federal government had finally confronted segregationists in Alabama and sent them a powerful message: Brown v. Board of Education was the law of the land and even White supremacists would have to obey the law.

The UOA is in the process of renovating Foster Auditorium, which has been mostly empty in recent years. President Robert Witt said the $15 million renovation will include a Malone-Hood civil rights memorial plaza in front of the building. But many people – Black and White – are un-impressed with the plans. After receiving a chilly reception, Witt said the university welcomes comments from the public.

It got a very public comment from the Tuscaloosa News, which said the architectural rendering does “Nothing to speak to its purpose – the historic, ground-breaking event it is supposed to honor.” The Nov. 8 editorial said the most complimentary thing that can be said about the proposed civil rights plaza is that “it fits in well with the shrubbery.”

Some have suggested creating a civil rights museum inside of Foster Auditorium. Others favor memorializing the 1963 stand-off with life-size bronze statues featuring Malone, Hood, Wallace and Katzenbach. My preference is that the university do both.

Mark Ingram, an African American from Flint, Mich., has now surpassed all of the stars on the storied Alabama football teams by bringing home the Heisman Trophy. The University of Alabama should try to score some style points with well-meaning Whites and people who look like Ingram by erecting a fitting memorial to Autherine Lucy, Vivian Malone, James Hood and the millions of Blacks who were prevented from attending the University of Alabama for more than 125 years. If it doesn’t, its antiseptic civil rights memorial will amount to nothing but another Stand in the Schoolhouse Door without the drama.

Black College football players earn All-America honors

3:29 pm December 16, 2009, by Leo Willingham

Nine players from historically black institutions have been named to the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) All-America team.

Defensive back Terrell Whitehead of Norfolk State was named to the first team, the lone Black College player on the first team. Return specialist LeRoy Vann of Florida A&M was one of five on the second team, joining offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath of South Carolina State, linebacker George Howard of Morgan State and defensive back Jason House of Southern.

The third-teamers included wide receivers Juamorris Stewart of Southern, defensive lineman Christian Anthony of Grambling, defensive back Anthony Beck of Prairie View and punter Jahmal Blanchard of Hampton.

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

Quarterback — Armanti Edwards, senior, 6-foot, 185 pounds, Appalachian State.

Running backs — Deji Karim, senior, 5-11, 205, Southern Illinois; Pat Paschall, senior, 6-0, 198, North Dakota State.

Linemen — Derek Hardman, senior, 6-6, 300, Eastern Kentucky; Matt McCraken, senior, 6-3, 300, Richmond; Vladimir Ducasse, senior, 6-5, 330, Massachusetts; Jeff Hansen, senior, 6-4, 292, Montana State; Kyle Mutcher, senior, 6-3, 300, Weber State.

Tight end — Clay Harbor, senior, 6-4, 243, Missouri State.

Wide receivers — Terrell Hudgins, senior, 6-2, 235, Elon; Marc Mariani, senior, 6-0, 185, Montana.

All-purpose player — Matt Szczur, junior, 5-11, 195, Villanova.

Kicker — Matt Bevins, sophomore, 6-2, 185, Liberty.

DEFENSE

Linemen — James Ruffin, senior, 6-4, 265, Northern Iowa; Arthur Moats, senior, 6-2, 250, James Madison; Austen Lane, senior, 6-6, 250, Murray State; Dane Fletcher, senior, 6-2, 242, Montana State.

Linebackers — Brandin Jordan, senior, 5-11, 230, Southern Illinois; J.C. Sherritt, junior, 5-10, 220, Eastern Washington; Mike Morales, senior, 6-0, 230, UC Davis.

Backs — Terrell Whitehead, senior, 6-2, 200, Norfolk State; Mark Legree, junior, 6-0, 200, Appalachian State; Jeromy Miles, senior, 6-2, 215, Massachusetts; Josh Morris, senior, 6-0, 180, Weber State.

Punter — Jonathan Plisco, freshman, 6-0, 200, Old Dominion.

———

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

Quarterback — Dominic Randolph, senior, Holy Cross.

Running backs — Chase Reynolds, junior, Montana; Toddrick Pendland, senior, McNeese State;

Linemen — Benjamin Ijalana, junior, Villanova; Mario Acitelli, senior, Appalachian State; Johnny Culbreath, junior, South Carolina State; James Williams, senior, Harvard; Austin Steichen, senior, Northern Iowa.

Tight end — Scott Sicko, senior, New Hampshire.

Wide receivers — Tysson Poots, junior, Southern Utah; Buddy Farnham, senior, Brown.

All-purpose player — LeRoy Vann, senior, Florida A&M.

Kicker — Craig Camay, senior, Chattanooga.

DEFENSE

Linemen — Danny Batten, senior, South Dakota State; Tim Knicky, senior, Stephen F. Austin; Adrian Tracy, senior, William & Mary; Larry Hart, senior, Central Arkansas.

Linebackers — Matt Cohen, senior, Lehigh; Tyler Santucci, senior, Stony Brook; George Howard, senior, Morgan State.

Backs — Charles Graves, senior, Delaware; Jason House, junior, Southern; Patrick Stoudamire, senior, Western Illinois; T.J. Heath, junior, Jacksonville State.

Punter — Jon Vanderwielen, senior, Idaho State.

———

THIRD TEAM

OFFENSE

Quarterback — Matt Nichols, senior, Eastern Washington.

Running backs — James Mallory, senior, Central Connecticut; Kyle Minett, junior, South Dakota State.

Linemen — Dorian Brooks, senior, James Madison; Will Rackley, senior, Lehigh; Levi Horn, senior, Montana; Joe Gibbs, senior, Tennessee-Martin; Austin Howard, senior, Northern Iowa.

Tight end — John Sheffield, senior, Yale.

Wide receivers — Jason Caldwell, senior, Fordham; Juamorris Stewart, senior, Southern.

All-purpose player — Taiwan Jones, sophomore, Eastern Washington.

Kicker — Zach Kutch, senior, Illinois State.

DEFENSE

Linemen — Christian Anthony, senior, Grambling State; Tim Kukucka, senior, Villanova; Josh Beard, senior, Chattanooga; Mychal Savage, senior, Youngstown State.

Linebackers — Wes McDermott, sophomore, Morehead State; Jake Lewko, senior, Penn; Jacque Roman, senior, Appalachian State.

Backs — Anthony Beck, senior, Prairie View A&M; Justin Rogers, junior, Richmond; Korey Lindsey, junior, Southern Illinois; Josh Norman, sophomore, Coastal Carolina.

Punter — Jahmal Blanchard, senior, Hampton.

S.C. State football brings home Jake Gaither National Championship Trophy

S.C. State football brings home Jake Gaither National Championship Trophy

By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer Tuesday, December 15, 2009


Winning the mythical “2009 Black College Football National Championship” was not a primary goal for South Carolina State when it started training camp back in August.

After the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions officially received the honor, placing first in the final SBN Sports Black College Football poll Monday, the news was sweet music to the ears of head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough.

“Anything you get a chance to put that by your team’s accomplishments for the year, it sounds good,” he said. “It sounds very good.”

A year after getting edged out by Grambling in the poll, S.C. State (10-2) found the voting in its favor this year in beating out Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Prairie View A&M by 13 points in the poll. Despite losing in heartbreaking fashion two weeks ago 20-13 to Appalachian State in the opening round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and the Panthers beating Alabama A&M 30-24 in the SWAC championship game this past weekend before a nationally-televised audience, the Bulldogs still managed to maintain the top spot in the SBN Sports BCF poll they’ve held since beating Grambling 34-31 in the season-opening MEAC/SWAC Challenge.

Claiming the SBN Jake Gaither National Championship Trophy for the first time since 1981 caps a season of individual and team achievements for the program in its eighth season under Pough. In repeating as MEAC champion by finishing with an unblemished 8-0 conference record for a second straight year, S.C. State also set a new MEAC record for consecutive conference victories (19), defeated two Top 25 FCS opponents (Grambling, Florida A&M) and ranked as high as seventh in the national polls.

All-American running back William Ford set new MEAC and school career rushing marks, quarterback Malcolm Long became the school’s first-ever 2,000-yard passer and wide receiver Oliver ‘Tre’ Young and place-kicker Blake Erickson each established single-single records for catches and field goals made, respectively.

“The fact that we had this body of work over the season, the fact that we have played as well as we had in the two losses, we’re down 10-7 at the half to the University of South Carolina (before losing 38-14) and we go down to the wire with a good Appalachian State team, gives the opinion that we were a pretty good football team.”

While Pough acknowledges the program’s ultimate goal is winning the FCS national championship, ranking as the top team among his black college football peers signifies another progression in the pursuit of that title.

“This is a tremendous honor in the fact that we can say that we are the best Division I HBCU team for a year and I think you’ve got to take that into account,” Pough said. “So hopefully, that will give us another accolade or honor or whatever we can use to say what we’re about as far as people getting involved in our program whether it’s recruiting players, sponsors or whatever. It gives you more credibility.”

S.C. State will be honored during the 36th Annual SBN Sports Black College All-American Awards Weekend, February 12-14, in Orlando, Florida. American Urban Radio Networks will also be honoring the 24-member SBN All-American Team, SBN’s Coach of the Year and SBN’s Offensive and Defensive players of the Year. Special invited guests include former SBN Black College All-Americans, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Arizona Cardinals), Kendall Langford (Miami Dolphins) and Antoine Bethea (Indianapolis Colts).

T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.

Big John Merritt Finalist For Black College Football Hall of Fame - Tennessee State Tigers Athletics

Big John Merritt Finalist For Black College Football Hall of Fame - Tennessee State Tigers Athletics

Big John Merritt Finalist For Black College Football Hall of Fame

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

Release: 12/11/2009

“Big John” Merritt Leads List of Four Big Blue Finalists

for Inaugural Black College Hall of Fame

Legendary Tennessee State football coach John “Big John” Merritt is among four persons listed as finalists for induction into the Inaugural Black College Hall of Fame. The other Big Blue finalists are Eldridge “The Lord’s Prayer” Dickey, Joe “Jefferson Street Joe” Gilliam, Jr. and Ed “Too Tall” Jones.

Thirty-five finalists were announced in Atlanta for The Black College Football Hall of Fame. The inaugural class of inductees will be honored on February 20, 2010 at the Priority Payment Systems Inaugural Enshrinement Ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia, in conjunction with Black History Month.

The inaugural class of inductees will include eight players, two coaches and one contributor. A Selection Committee comprised of prominent journalists and football executives chose the finalists from a field of more than 260 nominees, and will vote again to select inductees.

Photo Courtesy: Tennessee State Athletics
Legendary Coaches, John Merritt and Eddie Robinson

The 35 finalists are:

Player Finalists

Lem Barney (DB, Jackson State University, 1963-1966)
Mel Blount (DB, Southern University, 1966-1970)
Robert Brazile (LB, Jackson State University, 1971-1975)
Rosevelt Brown (OL, Morgan State University, 1949-1952)
Willie Brown (DB, Grambling State University, 1959-1963)
Junious “Buck” Buchanan (DE, Grambling State University, 1959-1963)
Harry Carson (DE, South Carolina State University, 1972-1975)
Willie Davis (DL, Grambling State University, 1952-1956)
Eldridge Dickey (Tennessee State University, 1964-1967)
Willie “Gallopin’ Gal” Galimore (RB, Florida A&M University, 1953-1956)
Joe Gilliam, Jr. (QB, Tennessee State University, 1966-1969)
“Bullet” Bob Hayes (WR/RB/KR, Florida A&M University, 1960-1964)
David “Deacon” Jones (DE, South Carolina State and Mississippi Valley State, 1958-1960)
Ed “Too Tall” Jones (DL, Tennessee State University, 1970-1973)
Leroy Kelly (RB, Morgan State University, 1960-1963)
Willie “Honey Bear” Lanier (LB, Morgan State University, 1963-1967)
Steve McNair (QB, Alcorn State University, 1991-1994)
Marion Motley (RB/LB, South Carolina State University, 1939-1942)
Walter “Sweetness” Payton (RB, Jackson State University, 1971-1974)
Jerry Rice (WR, Mississippi Valley State University, 1981-1984)
Willie “Wonderful Willie” Richardson (WR, Jackson State University, 1959-1962)
Art Shell (OL, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, 1964-1967)
Ben “Big Ben” Stevenson (RB, Tuskegee University, 1923-1930)
Willie “Satellite” Totten (Mississippi Valley State University, 1982-1985)
Paul "Tank" Younger (RB/DB, Grambling State University, 1945-1948)

Coach Finalists

Earl Banks (Head Coach, Morgan State University, 1960-1973)
Marino “The Godfather” Casem (Head Coach, Alcorn State University, 1963-1992)
Alonzo “Jake” Gaither (Head Coach, Florida A&M University, 1945-1969)
Willie Jeffries (Head Coach, South Carolina State University, 1973-2001)
John “Big John” Merritt (Head Coach, Tennessee State University, 1953-1983)
Ace Mumford (Head Coach, Southern University, 1927-1961)
Eddie G. Robinson (Head Coach, Grambling State University, 1941-1997)

Contributor Finalists

Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones (President, Grambling State University)
Collie J. Nicholson (Sports Information Director, Grambling State University)
Bill Nunn, Jr. (Pittsburgh Courier Reporter and Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Scout)

Finalists Announced for Black College Football Hall of Fame

The following news release was issued today announcing 35 Finalists for the Black College Football Hall of Fame. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or to arrange an interview.

Press Release

Contact: Jeff McKenzie

646-246-2480

Jeff@CoachingCharities.com

Finalists Announced for Black College Football Hall of Fame

---------

Inaugural Class of Inductees Expanded to 11;

Priority Payment Systems Inaugural Enshrinement

Ceremony to be Held February 20 in Atlanta, Georgia

December 10, 2009 (Atlanta,

GA) – Thirty-five finalists were announced today for The Black College Football Hall of Fame. The inaugural class of inductees has been expanded to 11 members and will be honored on February 20, 2010 at the Priority Payment Systems Inaugural Enshrinement Ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia, in conjunction with Black History Month.

The Black College Football Hall of Fame was established in October by football pioneer quarterbacks Pro Bowl MVP James "Shack" Harris and Super Bowl MVP
Doug Williams to honor the greatest football players and coaches from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

ESPN Monday Night Football Analyst Jon Gruden will serve as Master of Ceremonies and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Statesman Andrew Young will serve as an Honorary Chairman for the Enshrinement Ceremony. The event will be held from 6:00 – 9:30 p.m. at The Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta, Ga. (75 Fourteenth St. NE). Priority Payment Systems is Title Sponsor and The Four Seasons Hotel and King and Spalding LLC have joined as Platinum Sponsors of the Enshrinement Ceremony. For more information visit www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org.

The inaugural class of inductees will include eight players, two coaches and one contributor. A Selection Committee comprised of prominent journalists and football executives chose the finalists from a field of more than 260 nominees, and will vote again to select inductees. The 35 finalists are:

Player Finalists

Lem Barney (DB, Jackson State University, 1963-1966)

Mel Blount (DB, Southern University, 1966-1970)

Robert Brazile (LB, Jackson State University, 1971-1975)

Rosevelt Brown (OL, Morgan State University, 1949-1952)

Willie Brown (DB, Grambling State University, 1959-1963)

Junious “Buck” Buchanan (DE, Grambling State University, 1959-1963)

Harry Carson (DE, South Carolina State University, 1972-1975)

Willie Davis (DL, Grambling State University, 1952-1956)

Eldridge Dickey (Tennessee State University, 1964-1967)

Willie “Gallopin’ Gal” Galimore (RB, Florida A&M University, 1953-1956)

Joe Gilliam, Jr. (QB, Tennessee State University, 1966-1969)

“Bullet” Bob Hayes (WR/RB/KR, Florida A&M University, 1960-1964)

David “Deacon” Jones (DE, South Carolina State and Mississippi Valley State, 1958-1960)

Ed “Too Tall” Jones (DL, Tennessee State University, 1970-1973)

Leroy Kelly (RB, Morgan State University, 1960-1963)

Willie “Honey Bear” Lanier (LB, Morgan State University, 1963-1967)

Steve McNair (QB, Alcorn State University, 1991-1994)

Marion Motley (RB/LB, South Carolina State University, 1939-1942)

Walter “Sweetness” Payton (RB, Jackson State University, 1971-1974)

Jerry Rice (WR, Mississippi Valley State University, 1981-1984)

Willie “Wonderful Willie” Richardson (WR, Jackson State University, 1959-1962)

Art Shell (OL, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, 1964-1967)

Ben “Big Ben” Stevenson (RB, Tuskegee University, 1923-1930)

Willie “Satellite” Totten (Mississippi Valley State University, 1982-1985)

Paul "Tank" Younger (RB/DB, Grambling State University, 1945-1948)

Coach Finalists

Earl Banks (Head Coach, Morgan State University, 1960-1973)

Marino “The Godfather” Casem (Head Coach, Alcorn State University, 1963-1992)

Alonzo “Jake” Gaither (Head Coach, Florida A&M University, 1945-1969)

Willie Jeffries (Head Coach, South Carolina State University, 1973-2001)

John “Big John” Merritt (Head Coach, Tennessee State University, 1953-1983)

Ace Mumford (Head Coach, Southern University, 1927-1961)

Eddie G. Robinson (Head Coach, Grambling State University, 1941-1997)

Contributor Finalists

Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones (President, Grambling State University)

Collie J. Nicholson (Sports Information Director, Grambling State University)

Bill Nunn, Jr. (Pittsburgh Courier Reporter and Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Scout)

The Black College Football Hall of Fame is sponsored by The Shack Harris & Doug Williams Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization. For more information visit www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org.

# # #

Study: Grad rates between blacks, whites widening among bowl-bound college football teams -- latimes.com

Study: Grad rates between blacks, whites widening among bowl-bound college football teams

ANTONIO GONZALEZ Associated Press Writer

December 7, 2009 | 1:08 p.m.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The disparity between graduation rates for white and black college football players at schools headed to bowl games grew slightly this year, according to a study released Monday.

The annual report by the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport also showed overall academic progress. But there were 21 schools that graduated fewer than 50 percent of their black football players, the study found. That's up from 19 last year.

Richard Lapchick, the director of the institute, said the widening gap between whites and blacks was surprising because those numbers had closed in recent years.

"That could be a temporary blip, but it certainly caught me by surprise," he said. "I think part of it is the urban education system where a lot of the African-American students come from is so depleted. Too many student-athletes recruited from those areas are so far behind when they come to college, it's difficult to catch up."

The study was based on NCAA statistics collected from member institutions. The analysis is of the 67 schools that have accepted bowl invitations by Monday.

"There is still room for improvement, but the trend lines are generally moving in the right direction," NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said in a statement.

The study showed 57 schools had graduation success rates of 66 percent or higher for white football players, which was more than 2.8 times the number schools with equivalent graduation success rates for black football players. That's up from 56 schools last year.

Four schools had graduation success rates for black football players that exceeded rates for white players — Connecticut (5 percent higher), Troy (7 percent higher), Southern Mississippi (8 percent higher) and Rutgers (4 percent higher). That was down from five schools in last year's study.

Lapchick said getting more minorities in administrative positions — like head coaches and athletic directors — could help curb the numbers. He also said he will be looking closer at financial issues to see how much, if at all, the economic downturn is affecting the numbers.

While the disparity between whites and blacks increased, overall progress grew.

About 90 percent of the teams surveyed this year received a score of more than 925 on the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate (APR) compared with 88 percent last season, according to the report. Sixty-one of the 67 schools had at least a 50 percent graduation rate for their football teams, the same as a year ago.

Dave Czesniuk, director of operations for Northeastern University's Sport in Society, said analysts will have to monitor those figures next year to see if it's the beginning of a trend.

"It's enough to get this conversation started," Czesniuk said. "But to actually create change, you'll have to dig deeper."

Lapchick said overall academic progress has had steady growth because the NCAA could reduce scholarships for schools that can't meet the minimum requirements.

"Schools almost never take a very risky student any more because they just can't afford the penalty," he said.

Lapchick noted that "if there were a national championship based on graduation success rates among bowl teams, Navy and Northwestern would have played for the national championship." He said both teams graduated at least 92 percent of football players and at least 83 percent of black players.

The study found Stanford and Air Force were the best based on APR, with scores of 984 and 983.

Reed Certified as Winner of Atlanta Mayoral Election

Reed Certified as Winner of Atlanta Mayoral Election

By AFRO Staff


(December 6, 2009) - An Atlanta elections board has certified former state senator Kasim Reed as the winner of the city’s Dec. 1 runoff mayoral election.

A spokesman for Reed said the candidate received 50.4 percent of the 84,383 votes cast in the election. According to a CNN report, election officials said Reed held a 620-vote lead over his opponent, city councilwoman Mary Norwood. The Dec. 1 runoff election was held following November’s general election.

According to Bloomberg News, Norwood said she would ask for a recount. However, under state law, a recount is automatic when a margin of victory is less than one percent.

Both candidates waged a hard-fought battle across the city and over the airwaves in the month gearing up to the runoff election. Both also sought racial crossover votes in the majority-Black city. Norwood attempted to become Atlanta’s first White mayor in more than three decades.

Reed, 40, will be the fifth consecutive Black mayor of Atlanta, and will serve until 2014. Reed served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003, and in that state’s Senate from 2003 until September of this year, when he resigned to run for mayor.

According to Bloomberg News, both candidates have pledged to restore city services which were cut this year in an effort to make up a $140 million shortfall in the city’s budget.

Are Mattel's New Dolls Black Enough?

Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page B11
By ANN ZIMMERMAN

With so few black dolls on toy-store shelves, many black parents had high hopes when toy powerhouse Mattel Inc. released So in Style, its first line of black dolls with wider noses, fuller lips, sharper cheekbones and a variety of skin shades.

Now, despite the company's efforts to solicit input from a group of high-profile black women, including Cookie Johnson, wife of former basketball star Magic Johnson, some parents are saying the dolls aren't black enough. They complain that five of the six dolls feature fine-textured, waist-length hair; half of them have blue or green eyes.

Moreover, all have the freakishly skinny body of a Barbie (something that irks some white parents as well).

"I thought it was unfortunate that once again we're given a doll with hair that is so unlike the vast majority of black women," says Cheryl Nelson-Grimes, the mother of a 7-year-old girl and a resident of Queens, N.Y. "I feel very strongly that I want my daughter to love herself for who she is and not believe that using a hot comb or straightening her hair is the only way to be beautiful."

Still, her daughter Noni says that Grace, her doll from the new Mattel line, is her favorite "because she looks like me. She has black hair and has a ponytail."

The criticism over Mattel's new black fashion dolls underscores how difficult it is for large commercial companies to please a widely diverse black community with a single image or two depicting young African-Americans.

"If they had given the dolls short, kinky hair or an Afro, people might have complained that it was too Afro-centric," says Nicole Coles, a 40-year-old mother from Temecula, Calif. "We're so hard and picky."

Mattel nonetheless has taken the comments to heart and plans to expand the line in the fall of 2010 to include a doll with more of an Afro hairstyle.

Like Mattel, Walt Disney Co. met with a number of black advisers while making its first animated movie featuring a black heroine, "The Princess and the Frog," which opens widely next week. Based on their feedback, the heroine's name was changed to Tiana from Maddy, which was thought to be too close to mammy, and her job went from a maid to a waitress, according to Dee Dee Jackson, national president of Mocha Moms, a support group for women of color that Disney consulted for input on the film. "Her skin hue is darker, her hair is in Afro puffs as a young child, and her features are full but not exaggerated," Ms. Jackson says.

"During development it is common for us to make changes, and 'The Princess and the Frog' is no exception," said Disney spokeswoman Heidi Trotta.

This isn't Mattel's first foray into creating black dolls. The El Segundo, Calif.-based toy maker first introduced a black doll in 1967, when it painted Barbie's cousin Francie brown. Two years later, Barbie got a black friend named Christie. A black Barbie came along in 1980, but her features were almost identical to those of her white counterpart.

The expensive line of American Girl dolls, also owned by Mattel, features a black doll named Addy Walker, a runaway slave whose story is set during the Civil War. But with a price tag of $95, it is out of reach for a lot of families.

Other toy lines, including the popular Polly Pocket miniatures, also made by Mattel, include only a few black dolls. "Polly Pocket only has one or two brown dolls, and my daughters fight over them," says Mary Broussard-Harmon, a mother of three girls from Corona, Calif.

Doll designer Stacey McBride-Irby says she sought to fill the black-doll void when she dreamed up So In Style dolls for Mattel two years ago. Ms. McBride-Irby says she wanted to give her 6-year-old daughter a wider choice of "dolls that looked like her."

Ms. McBride-Irby devoted about two years creating three teenaged dolls—Grace, Trichelle and Kara—who have skin tones ranging from chocolate to caramel. They are paired with smaller, younger-looking dolls they are supposed to advise and help; the toy packaging says: "Mentoring … It's So in Style." Also written prominently on the back of the box are the dolls' interests, which include science, cheerleading, art, journalism, math and music.

"I didn't want the dolls to just be about fashion and friendship," Ms. McBride-Irby says. "I wanted to them have a positive message."

She also wanted them to be fun. She loved playing with Barbie's long hair as a child, she says, and Mattel's extensive research repeatedly shows that young girls want their dolls to have long hair they can brush and style. The So in Style dolls also have a hair-styling kit to curl and straighten the hair.

The black women recruited by Mattel to give input during the dolls' production had extensive discussions with the company about giving at least some of the dolls varied and representative hairstyles, says Ms. Johnson, the mother of a 14-year-old girl. Mattel's concession was to make one doll's hair wavy and give one of the little sisters short puffy pigtails.

While Ms. Johnson would like to see even more representative hairstyles, she still thinks they're "fabulous. I can show my little girl that you don't have to have a pointed nose to be beautiful."

Loanne Hizo Ostlie says she also likes the dolls, but thinks Mattel did black girls a disservice by not giving them a more varied, representative look. For more than 10 years, she has been customizing dolls, specializing in creating black dolls from Kelly dolls, Barbie's little sister, and selling them on the Internet.

In the past, she also customized Barbies, but the field got increasingly crowded, she says. Now, she's turned to the So In Style little-sister dolls, painting their eyes brown and giving them "dreadlocks, Afros, cornrows and kinks."

J. Lorand Matory, chairman of the Department of African and African American studies at Duke University, says that there is a history of self-hatred in the African diaspora that stems from the value attached to European hair, features and skin color. "Mattel didn't send the message, but they are reinforcing it," he says.

"These dolls are a much better representation than what has been in the marketplace," says Mattel spokeswoman Michelle Chidoni. "But we hear the argument."

Stephanie Archer thinks the criticism is much ado about nothing. A chapter vice president of Mocha Moms, Ms. Archer took her daughter Sydney, age 6, to a tea party in Manhattan, where Mattel unveiled the new dolls in late September.

"Mattel did a good job getting the facial features right," she says. "The dolls are beautiful, and the event made our daughters feel beautiful, too.

"Sydney's hair is curly, rather than kinky," adds Ms. Archer, who lives in Queens. "She knows her hair texture is different than the dolls', and that's OK. We have to give our kids more credit."

Ms. Irby-McBride says she was a little surprised by the negative comments about the dolls. "Three dolls can't represent the whole African-American community," she says.

In addition to more Afro-centric dolls, Mattel will be coming out with a black male So in Style doll named Darren. That will please Claire Jefferson-Glipa, a Corona, Calif., mother of a 6-year-old girl and 3-year-old son.

"If you think finding black dolls for girls is hard," she says, "try finding black action figures or super heroes."