Ep. 661 – Duke University also miserably failed this student athlete

Did you hear the story about the young Black woman who experienced outrageous racism and bigotry playing in a volleyball match against BYU in Utah? I’ve long since heard about the racism of Utah, so that alone didn’t surprise me. It didn’t even surprise me to learn that the staff of BYU failed to intervene in the moment to make sure the racist taunts stopped and people were held accountable right there in the moment.

But I think Duke University is getting off far too easy here. Coaches and staff from Duke should’ve protected their player and refused to continue the match under such conditions. It was their responsibility to intervene and stand up for their own student so that she felt seen, valued, and protected in that moment. But it appears that simply did not happen.

Schools and athletic programs from elementary school all the way through professional sports, honestly, need to have a full game plan on what they will do in the face of racism and bigotry when they encounter it – so that when it happens, they aren’t having to think creatively in the moment, but already have a strategy in place.