‘I’m Chris Paul, now a graduate of Winston-Salem State University. Yeah, that sounds crazy, doesn’t it?” he said during a news conference following graduation. “This is something that I’ll never forget.”
Culture
Is Deion Sanders a ‘sellout?’ Experts say it’s complicated
The Pro Football Hall of Famer’s loyalty and intentions were called into question when he traded in an HBCU for a better-funded, predominately white institution.
By Char Adams
Deion Sanders’ decision to leave Jackson State University, a historically Black university in Mississippi, to take over as head football coach at the predominantly white University of Colorado in Boulder has been the talk of the sports world.
Upon joining Jackson State (JSU) in 2020, Sanders, 55, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl winner, essentially became a champion of HBCU football. He promoted the virtues of the schools, lured top recruits away from predominantly white institutions, sparked a surge of donations and sponsorships to the underfunded JSU, increased national exposure for HBCUs and put up his own money to renovate the school’s Walter Payton Center.
He declared that God led him to Jackson State to uplift HBCUs. With all of his aforementioned efforts, fans and HBCU advocates are upset that he is leaving the university after three seasons for a $5 million annual payday from Colorado.
“He sold a dream and then walked out on the dream. People have the right to be critical of that,” ESPN’s Bomani Jones told CNN. Sports fans on social media shared similar sentiments, with one person tweeting, “Deion was preaching elevating HBCU programs & looks like he was just using JSU as a launching pad for his coaching career, which is fine, but don’t go around acting like it was for altruistic reasons.”
Another added: “This guy literally made himself the face of HBCU sports, acted as its lead ambassador, shamed those who didn’t want to include him (be they questioned his motives) … only for him to flip so soon.”
The debate about Sanders leaving JSU has been centered on whether he should be considered a “sellout” for leaving an HBCU football program that he made successful for a struggling program at a better funded, predominantly white institute. Experts say the answer isn’t so simple.
Sanders has a 27-5 coaching record at Jackson State, including going 12-0 this year and winning two consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference titles. The Colorado Buffaloes haven’t had a winning season since 2006 and haven’t won a bowl game since 2004.
Sanders will owe Jackson State around $300,000 in a buyout for the 2020 contract, according to USA Today. And Colorado reportedly offered Sanders a starting salary of more than $5 million per year, plus incentives.
Although Sanders’ departure is a major loss for JSU, some have said that his joining a school in one of college football’s Power Five conferences marks the upward mobility that Black coaches have long fought for. Rob Parker, co-host of the Fox Sports radio show “The Odd Couple With Chris Broussard & Rob Parker,” said that while he understands the criticism, he believes Sanders is simply “evolving as a coach.”
“This is the circumstance of college football. This scenario has happened a million times. This is not a Deion Sanders thing,” Parker told NBC News. “Because he was able to move mountains, and make changes, and gave people a sense of pride for HBCUs, now they feel like he owes them for the rest of his life. And I don’t think that’s fair.”
HBCU Sports senior editor Kendrick Marshall, who was among the first to announce Colorado’s offer to Sanders last month, acknowledged that Sanders never said he’d stay at Jackson State for long. Sanders made clear in an October interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” that he would “entertain” an offer from a Power Five school. This, Marshall said, doesn’t mean Sanders’ HBCU rhetoric was disingenuous.
“I do think he cared about the well-being of Jackson State football players. I do believe he cared about the well-being of the university as a whole. I do think, to some degree, that he really, truly cared about how Black colleges were perceived in the mainstream,” Marshall said, noting that he believes Sanders accomplished all he said he wanted to do at JSU, from winning games and donations to media exposure. And, in doing so, he made himself more appealing to other schools seeking head coaches. “It was a win-win for both parties,” Marshall added.
Some critics of Sanders’ departure have said the outrage isn’t so much about the NFL star going to a predominantly white institute, but that he is doing so after cementing himself as a staunch supporter of HBCUs. An air of racial solidarity and loyalty has underscored Sanders’ time at JSU. His decision to move on and break his four-year contract with JSU has even been described as “abandonment” by online critics. Sanders has also said he’s taking his son, Shedeur, JSU’s quarterback, to Colorado with him.
In an opinion piece, Deadspin sports writer Carron J. Phillips said the move only proves that Sanders never really cared about HBCUs at all, especially since his rhetoric has centered around a bold mission: to “change lives. Change the perspective of HBCU football,” he said in the “60 Minutes” interview.
J. Kenyatta Cavil, a professor specializing in HBCU sports at Texas Southern University, said focusing solely on the financial incentives and upward mobility of Sanders’ new job ignores the “social identity” of sports. As much as college football is a business and money-driver, there is a cultural significance to the programs that manifests itself in everything from lifelong loyalty to teams to students’ college choices.
“People are fighting two competing frameworks,” Cavil, co-editor of “The Athletic Experience at Historically Black Colleges and Universities — Past, Present, and Persistence,” said of Black sports fans. “Even though they understand the capitalistic truisms of this society, people will also tell you they wanted Sanders to believe in something that would keep him at JSU despite the money.”
Sanders also credited God for his latest career move when he told the team of his departure. He addressed claims that his decision was motivated solely by money, telling the players, “It’s not about a bag, but it is about an opportunity.” This posture may be helpful for Sanders as Colorado’s athletic director, Rick George, admitted Sunday that the university doesn’t have the money to pay Sanders — “but I know we’ll have it so I’m not worried about that piece,” he added, according to Sports Illustrated.
Experts like Cavil and Marshall agree that it’s unclear how JSU will fare both on the field and in terms of donations and media attention without Sanders’ advocacy and star power.
“Two major pieces of the championship team are going to be gone next year,” Marshall said, referring to Shedeur and Travis Hunter, a former five-star recruit and JSU cornerback who is rumored to have plans of following the father and son to Colorado. “As far as what happens on the football field, they won’t be as good as they were the past couple of years with Deion Sanders not around. I think the buzz around the program will change, especially if they don’t hire a coach that has a similar stature as Deion Sanders.”
Culture
‘I’ll never forget it’: NBA star Chris Paul graduates from WSSU
“Graduating from an HBCU is special, but graduating from Winston-Salem State University is even more special,” Paul said.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —
He’s a star both on and off the court – NBA player Chris Paul walked across the stage Friday morning after earning his degree.
The player graduated from Winston-Salem State University during fall commencement. Paul, or better yet, CP3, is a guard for the Phoenix Suns. He’s also known for giving back to his community.
Paul was surrounded by his family as he walked the stage to get his diploma. It was a moment difficult to put into words.
“I’m so grateful to all the teachers and everyone who worked with me. But to do this, and to be able to do this at home and to walk and talk to these students today during the entire process is something that I’ll never forget,” Paul said.
Winston-Salem is a very special place for Paul who returns often to talk with students and with up-and-coming athletes. It’s his hometown and home just means everything.
“I grew up playing Pop Warner football games, going to every Winston-Salem State University football game and all the Winston-Salem State basketball games, to have my parents go to Winston-Salem State, it means a lot,” Paul said.
Paul was even more surprised to find out that he was also graduating with his cousin.
“Graduating from an HBCU is special, but graduating from Winston-Salem State University is even more special,” Paul said.
He graduated from West Forsyth High School. He also played basketball for Wake Forest University before going pro.
He said he now has to get ready for Saturday’s game against New Orleans.
Business
Durant’s Donation Will Support Athletic Facility Upgrades and University Athletics Programs
MEDIA CONTACT: David Thompson, dlthompson@bowiestate.edu, 301-860-4311
(BOWIE, Md.) – Prince George’s County native Kevin Durant and the Durant Family Foundation have committed to joining the Bowie State University Athletics Department in the transformation of the university’s main basketball gym and supporting BSU athletics programs.
“We are dedicated to providing resources and possibilities to students for higher education, especially in Prince George’s County,” said Wanda Durant, who leads the Durant Family Foundation. “Bowie State was the perfect place to make a meaningful impact.”
The foundation has committed $500,000 towards renovations of the basketball arena in the Leonidas S. James Physical Education Complex at BSU. Renovations will include installation of a new basketball court, expansion of seating capacity and upgrades to the press box area. The gift will also provide financial support for men’s and women’s basketball and university athletics programs. It also will establish a scholarship for Durant Center College Track students who attend BSU.
Bowie State President Aminta Breaux expressed her gratitude for Durant’s generosity.
“We’re grateful for the resources that Kevin Durant and his family foundation have generously donated to Bowie State University to advance student success in achieving their academic goals,” said Breaux. “His contributions will go a long way towards updating our facilities and ensure a top-tier athletic experience for all of our students. The foundation has already built a network of community-centric services within the Durant Center in Prince George’s County that is exemplary.”
Durant’s donation to Bowie State is just the latest in the Seat Pleasant native’s philanthropic efforts in Prince George’s County. In 2019, Durant’s foundation partnered with College Track to establish College Track at the Durant Center in Suitland, MD, to help first-generation and low-income students pursue higher education.
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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.
About the Durant Family Foundation
The Durant Family Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2013 by Prince George’s County native Kevin Durant. The foundation’s mission is to enrich the lives of at-risk youth from low-income backgrounds through educational, athletic and social programs. The foundation supports youth athletics, organizations addressing youth homelessness, disaster & emergency relief efforts, renovates basketball courts across the world, and provides educational opportunities for low-income and first generation college students via our partnership with College Track. As of 2019, the Durant Center, based in Prince George’s County, has been the home for Durant Family Foundation charitable programs and community initiatives.
Virginia State University will confer nearly 300 degrees at the 2022 Fall Commencement.
29-year-old Mofolake Odubonojo is one of nearly 300 graduates who will receive a degree from Virginia State University on Saturday, December 10, 2022. Ms. Odubonojo will graduate from the VSU College of Humanities and Social Sciences with an impressive 4.0 grade point average. Her remarkable accomplishments include overcoming injuries from a traumatic burn accident, immigrating to the United States from Nigeria, and maintaining a full-time job throughout her academic career.
Ms. Odubonojo says her higher education academic career began in Nigeria, but it was sidetracked by a hot oil cooking accident that landed her in the traumatic burn unit.
“All I knew was that all of a sudden—my body was burning. The hot oil spewed all over my face, chest, and legs. I was rushed to the clinic for treatment before I was transferred to a burn center,” said Odubonojo.
The accident delayed Odubonojo’s final exams, and she had to repeat the semester to graduate. She eventually graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Science Laboratory Technology. Years later, she moved to America to pursue her interest in psychology. She visited her brother in the U.S. and spoke to her sister-in-law, who attended Virginia State University.
“She told me that VSU is an outstanding school. It feels like you are among people who support each other,” said Odubonojo. “You’re going to feel at home if you go to VSU.”
Once in America, she received another degree from a local community college and then transferred to Virginia State University. She discovered her “Greater” at VSU. She has a 4.0 grade point average and will receive her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology on December 10, 2022, from VSU. She also tutors other students and works full-time as a residential counselor for individuals with special needs. She plans to pursue her Ph.D. in mental health counseling. Mofolake Odubonojo is an example of the VSU mantra that “Greater Happens Here.”
The Virginia State University Fall 2022 ceremony will begin at 10:00 AM on Saturday, December 10, 2022, in the VSU Multipurpose Center. The President of the Virginia Region at Truist Financial, businessman, philanthropist, and motivational speaker, Mr. Thomas L. Ransom, will serve as the keynote speaker.
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