As I was watching the movie “42” in theatres this past weekend, I couldn't help but think how far we have come as a culture and as a nation.
Being half African-American, it is amazing to think about the things that Jackie Robinson went through when he broke baseball’s color barrier 66 years ago, which helped pave the way for African- Americans in athletics. Without the hard work of Robinson and others, athletics wouldn't be what they are today.
Though racial tensions and prejudice are, for the most part, a thing of the past, it is astonishing how few African-American head coaches there are in college athletics.
This is why the recent hiring of Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jayson Gee is such a big deal. As of now, only 22 percent of Division I college basketball head coaches are African-American. Longwood is in Prince Edward County, the same county that was the last in the state of Virginia to de-segregate public schools, the same county that still has racial tensions in it to this day.
According to collegeboard.com, Longwood is only seven percent African-American, so for Gee to join Athletic Director Troy Austin in the athletics department is huge.
What’s more is that he is the first black coach in program history, a feat again highlighted by the ugly history of Farmville.
Gee said in a phone interview yesterday that, “When you are a minority and you are in a position of high authority, you have a great responsibility.”
How many places around the country can say that one of the most iconic men in town is black? If I had to guess, I would say not many.
Some may say that this subject is talked about too much, or that people make the success of African-Americans a bigger deal than it should be, but I disagree. Some may say I’m biased, but I would disagree with that as well.
From the time I was about 10 years old, I knew I wanted to work in athletics one day. Whether that is in media or other fields, I knew sports would have something to do with it. My dad always told me I could do whatever I wanted to do, as long as I worked hard and made it there.
He told me that nothing could hold me back from achieving what I wanted to achieve, which has driven me throughout my life, and throughout my time at Longwood. He told me that the grass is much greener than it used to be, and we have come a long way.
My parents got married in 1992. I’m the child of a black man and a white woman. They dated through the late '80s and were often scrutinized by my mom’s family and friends for their relationship. Times were tough, and that wasn’t too long ago.
I personally have been lucky enough to grow up in a world where it isn’t as bad as it used to be. I, being partially African-American, have the ability and potential to strive for greatness and become who I want to be, to find success and not allow anything to hold me back.
With that as motivation, there is nothing more important than remembering the past, but also looking straight ahead at the improvements that have been made over time, and will be made in the future.
This is why Coach Gee’s hiring should be inspiring to people everywhere. Not just African- Americans, but people in general, especially in the town of Farmville.
“I have a great responsibility to model excellence in all that I do,” said Gee. “I am anxious to be a role model in the Longwood community.”
Gee is more than just a new basketball coach in town. He and Austin show a town that is 33 percent African-American that it doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like, if you bust your butt and work hard, you can get to the mountaintop. They show college students like myself that there is indeed an end payoff to hard work.
Gee said, “The measure of a man’s success is their hard work; I truly believe that. I have utilized the great qualifier of hard work to get to where I am today.”
Longwood athletics really hit the jackpot with Gee. He will be a great role model in the community, his family will be a great example for other families and he believes hard work is the key to success. What more can you ask for?
One of my personal favorite quotes is “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.” Jayson Gee and Troy Austin are prime examples that hard work does pay off.
*** This editorial is an opinion stated by the writer and does not represent the views of The Rotunda or Longwood University.
