Largest Crowd In ULM/NLU History for A Football Game. Night pic of the first meeting between Grambling and ULM football teams.
I really had to laugh when I read the following comment to this article UD's refusal to play DSU goes national. This involves the controversy over historic "black college" Delaware State University not being able to play the University of Delaware despite being the same classification. The comment started out:
"Its sad that UD and DSU have yet 2 play each other. First of all i am in agreement with some of the comments referring to racisim in Delaware, because it definately does still exist. One would think, upon visiting that Delaware should be located somewhere in between Alabama and Lousiana, but thats besides the point. We are talking football people."
Oops better take Louisiana off the list. This weekend a very historic game occurred. Between the "historic black college" of Grambling University and the University of Louisiana(Monroe) which was of course the old Northeast. It is not really a game that needed to be played because of a "racial" issue or to send a statement. However it was a game that was historic and allows many of us to see how far things have come. In many ways the Black/white story sideline to this was very much a sideline. As I suspected it would be. It was a great game and it was agreat day for quality fun football in North Louisiana. I heard it was a blast
It should be noted that ULM is a DIV I school and Grambling is not. It was a historic meeting on many levels. But what was great was that it was such a huge success. Th NEws Star World had GREAT COVERAGE. Including massive photo galleries here.
I-20 Classic: Keep it going
I-20 Classic notes: Grambling fans pack ULM game
Grambling kicker Manuel takes fifth SWAC specialist of the week honor
INSTANT CLASSIC: ULM beats Grambling, as a record crowd watches
I-20 Classic: Live from ULM/Grambling at Malone Stadium
VIDEO: Halftime at the I-20 Classic
VIDEO: Tailgating at the I-20 Classic -- Part 2
VIDEO: Tailgating at the I-20 Classic -- Part 1
Now I don't want to get into the dynamics of why Delaware and Delaware State don't play each other. I have no clue and the issue of RACE may have nothing to do with it. I suspect there are many . However the Grambling and ULM game is again something that shows how far the deep South has progressed on Race relations. I could not imagine this happening in the early days of integration when my Uncles played at NLU.
It appears that stereotypes about the Deep South and Race relations again are chipped at. Also as to the issue of Race and the South's Second religion of College football. This is not only story of this vein. This year SEC South Carolina met up for the first time with Historic Black College South Carolina State. Further we see a a very much white Baptist Private College is about to go into a Historic Black college conference. Go see Division II Chowan makes historic move to historically black CIAA
It is not all roses down here. But the views of the South should be updated. Even in the age of the Jena 6 where some of the biggest over the top generalizations about Louisiana and the South are being made. Oh I will have a Post on that next.
Monday, November 12, 2007
A Historic Evening In Louisiana- Grambling, ULM, and the South lead the Way on "Race" Again
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2 comments:
Being from South Louisiana and currently living in Delaware I must say, I find South LA, particularly BR, LAFF, and NOLA, to be less racist than the people I have met here in Delaware. It is easy to say you aren't racist when you hardly ever see a person of another race than yourself. The stares that African Americans receive upon walking into businesses up here is ridiculous -- you would suspect that is was 1950 and that the African American walked into a place that had a "Whites Only" sign on the door.
I find the racism that exists up here in the Mid-Atlantic, as with much of the NE that I have visited, to be much more internalized and bottled-up -- as if they are trying to ignore the elephant in the room. Where as in the South, the racism is much more open and on the table.
The South can actually address the problem because the South knows what the problem is. The Northeast, as well as other parts of the country that have low populations of African Americans and other different races from the White population of America, have much more difficulty addressing the issues of racism because it is so internalized and bottled-up that they do not know where to begin.
That is a interesting viewpoint. I ahve to admit when I visted Chicago it was pretty shocking. It seemrfd that alot of everday facets of life were really segregated. It was sort of crazy especially with the balack neighborhoods being just on the other side of the L
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