Not another Catch 22, Right?
- Fred Galloway
- Nov 4, 2020
- 3 min read
Ok. Not gone lie, funding has always been an issue with my Historically Black Colleges and Universities and any money looks good right about now to our programs. But something just doesn't sit well with me with language used to bring us this blessing to lift us from the days of the "Money Game," sending student athletes to be ran up on by Ohio St. to fund the whole damn program. Imagine coming back to the dorm and after recording the game, just to the hear WING T running Georgia Tech looked like a National Championship contender. Needless to say, the $2.8M scholarship money from the U.S. Army just isn't sitting well with me.
Kate Cornell of WJTV reports US Secretary Ryan McCarthy took a visit to Jackson, MS for a meeting with 26 HBCU Presidents to address diversity in the armed forces. And from the looks of his off guard photo above, McCarthy wasn't trying be in the new home of Head football Coach Deion Sanders. But that none of my business. McCarthy would speak with athletes and presented $2.8Million check towards scholarships. Possibly the largest donation I've seen to a SWAC program since Wale looked out for Grambling St. after their protest or Charles Barkley's Million dollar donations he's been dropping on us.
Now this present is generous but the language used afterward is to be questioned. “There’s a lot of tough resilient kids right here in Mississippi,” McCarthy said. “We want to get as many as we can to get in our formation.” and to make matters worse, the disturbing agreement of Jackson State University President Thomas Hudson of Jackson, MS in particular being an opportune place to recruit.
As history has shown me, and I'm speaking for myself, the last time the words resilient was used around us, we ended up on ships and lest we not forget, the "Tuskegee Experiment." But AGAIN, that's just me!
Now, don't get me wrong I know there are plenty of students from all 107 HBCUs that enlisted in the Army and some have even go on to have unfathomable careers but what I don't want to see is my Jackson, MS family and fellow HBCU students taken advantage of. With that in mind i got a few questions that need answers:
Are all 26 HBCUs presented the same $2.8M?
Are there conditional details and criteria of the scholarship? i.e. HS GPA, post graduation you are required to enter an auto-draft.
What non-HBCU or non-military affiliated intuitions (VMI, Army etc.) have received similar benefits?
Are students gaining access to military benefits as a recipients as well as athletic scholarships?
what is the current percentage of student who attend HBCUs that are on active duty in the military?
What impact has HBCU students of rank made in the military vs. how they can further impact the military with their resilience?
Just to ask a few but you get the jest.
We should monitor this scholarship program closely as it could very well be apart of the many changes coming to Joo City. Even Coach Prime has plans to shift in a new direction through the play on the field and work in the community along with President Hudson who seems elated at McCarthy's visit. "Secretary being here really highlights our great programs we have in Jackson State University,” “[And} really our ability to be a really be a good partner and have the army reach its goals.”
And that scares me in itself.
コメント