A NAIA school in Virginia on Thursday forfeited its men’s basketball game after kneeling players during January and February during several national games.
Bluefield College president David Olive said in a statement on Thursday that after players knelt during several games in January and February, even after telling them to stop, he decided to suspend all athletes involved, which the NAIA forfeited. Division II Appalachian Athletic Conference match against Reinhardt.
“The basis for my decision stemmed from my own awareness of how some people in our country view kneeling, and I did not think that a number of our alumni, friends and donors from the College would view the act of kneeling during the national anthem. “A positive way,” Olive said.
In the statement, Olive, who is white, tells of an ongoing discussion with coaches, players and the school’s athletic director, Tonia Walker, who is black because she knelt during the national anthem, but suspensions were only granted after media reports past week appeared.
Olive said he became aware on February 1 that players had been kneeling during the national anthem for the previous home game and later learned that the same thing had happened in two previous road games. At that point, he told head coach Richard Morgan that the knee would not be tolerated during the national anthem.
This is in direct contrast to what the basketball team was told before the season, according to Bluefield soccer player Jewels Gray, who is close with many members of the basketball team and discussed the suspensions with players. Gray said the basketball players were told they were not allowed to issue their own statement or speak to the media.
“Why would our school contradict what they said?” Gray said. ‘We had meetings before the season with [the athletic director] and the president, and they said we can kneel and they will support us 100% and be behind us. ‘
Players knelt again during the national anthem before the match on February 2 and ignored the order. For the next game, on February 4, Morgan kept the team in the locker room during the national anthem to avoid further controversy.
Olive said he reached out to Morgan and team members to discuss the protests, saying he understood their message and supported calls for racial justice – but he did not allow it during the national anthem.
“I further told them that their intended message to raise awareness of racial injustice is being diluted or completely lost because some regard their knee-jerk action as disrespectful to the flag, our country and our veterans,” Olive said in the statement. . “In my opinion, their message is not heard.”
Olive said players told him they did not intend to be disrespectful and that they shared personal stories of racism. In response, Olive said the campus leadership team is currently working on a forum to discuss racial inequality.
At the team’s next match, on February 6, the team stayed in the locker room again, but on February 8, a local TV station showed a video of players kneeling as part of a news report. The next day, Olive said the school issued a statement containing the input of the players, responding to ‘incorrect and sometimes incorrect information shared about our student-athletes and college’.
That night, however, players knelt again for the national anthem ahead of Bluefield’s home game against Tennessee Wesleyan. After the game, Olive Morgan announced that there would be ‘consequences’.
“It goes without saying that it was a challenging process for all involved,” Olive said in a statement. “I have heard and understood the perspective of our players why they want to kneel during the National Anthem. I also know that this form of protest immediately turns off a number of individuals to listen to the intended message because of their perspective on the No Individual ‘s sincere motives are inherently wrong. But I insist we will not get where we want AND as a country need to address these racial issues without making honest efforts to create roads that bring people together for ‘ a common cause. “
Gray suggested that recent media reports angered at least one influential donor, forcing Olive to issue the suspensions.
Olive said in his statement that players are inquiring about the violation of their rights for the first amendment, and he informed players that these rights do not apply to this situation.
Athletes from the men’s and women’s basketball team, soccer team and women’s soccer team all participated in a video conference discussion this week, arguing that their rights to first amendment were violated and discussed ways to address the school’s policies.
“We are a private entity, not a government entity,” Olive said in a statement. “We have policies and guidelines in the student handbook and the academic catalog that limit certain rights that you may otherwise have elsewhere, such as in your home or in a public venue. The most important thing for me, however, is that this is what I am concerned about. If someone wears a uniform or performs a function on behalf of Bluefield College, the person now represents Bluefield College. The individual is now more expected to do what he or she can and cannot do or say as a representative of the College. ‘
In the wake of the suspensions, Gray decided to support the basketball players by holding a strike during football practice. Bluefield are playing a spring semester scheme due to COVID-19, and with a game set for Saturday, his coach was hoping to avoid a serious break in practice. Gray agreed that he would be the only player to step out, and others would be left to keep practicing.
Gray then posted a photo of his protest on Twitter, which was retweeted by several members of the Bluefield basketball team.
Today I stood up for what I believe in and during my football practice I peacefully protested against social injustice. Colored inequality has recently occurred on my university campus and in my community against student athletes, and that is wrong.
I hope I have twitters support ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/FrayzzrAH3– Jewels Gray (@ 15_toetap) 11 February 2021
“I did not feel the football team should practice if the basketball team could not play just because they stood up in what they believe in,” Gray said. ‘I protested the practice peacefully, but I did not ask anyone else to leave the exercise with me. I got up before [the team prayer] and talked and made them aware of what was going on. I know we all have one goal. ‘
Gray’s teammate Collin O’Donnell, who is a military veteran, presented a statement from the entire football team on Thursday.
“Over the past few days, the athletics of Bluefield College have been the most important place in our area over the kneeling time during the national anthem as well as the subsequent decisions made,” O’Donnell wrote. “As a football team we can not be blind or deaf to the social issues in our country and the deep gulf that we face together. They talked among our team this week and expressed that despite external forces or conflicting opinions, we remain one unit, indivisible.One of the characteristics of our constitutional republic is our first right of amendment, this ability to peacefully hold different beliefs and opinions while living out our truth is what makes us unique and distinguishes us from those in our world silences others on issues that are uncomfortable.
“As a team, we are focused and committed to each other. We go out of our way every season to make real, positive changes in our community. Whether we agree or disagree on the way we express concern … .. when we walk on the field, we are one unit, one family and we believe in each other. ‘
In the school’s 2019 census, almost 84% of the student population identified as white, while a little over 10% were black.
“Most of the student-athletes here are African-Americans,” Gray said, “but the city and the community – if you look at the comments. [O’Donnell] received on Facebook, people put him off so badly. All kinds of ugly comments. The city and community of Bluefield College really have a lot of people that need to be opened up to this. I am not saying that they have hatred in their hearts, but I feel that they should be open to what is going on. ‘