CW + 1956 Collab Edition

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26 cultural change on campus, and this is a responsibility the University and the athletics department need to be held accountable for. One student athlete said there was very little conversation at all on their team regarding racial injustice. If student athletes became more knowledgeable about challenging infrastructure of institutions that disadvantage Black people, then they could use the attention they get in order to shift the conversation. RANDALL CENEUS “I didn’t know if I wanted to be a part of the team after [the resurgence of protests in the summer],” the athlete said. “During the heat of [Black Lives Matter protests], no one talked about it, and the ambiance was, ‘This is sports, not politics.’ But this isn’t politics, these are human rights we’re talking about.” PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS Colleges and universities in the United States generate a good bulk of revenue from student-athletes. In fact, schools in the SEC occupied five of the top 10 spots for most revenue from student athletics in 2019. The University of Alabama was ranked number seven, generating $164.1 million dollars in revenue. Alabama football is the biggest contributor, with 59.8% of the athletics revenue coming from that sport. Men’s basketball was the next closest. The economic impact Alabama sports has on this campus is well known, but how is the University allocating that money to support the well-being of its students and the surrounding community? Currently, 28,620 white students attend Alabama, while just over 4,000 students are Black. Black people make up 43.9% of the population in Tuscaloosa, and the poverty rate is 16.4%, above the national average of 10.5%. The University brings in plenty of money into Tuscaloosa, but seldom uses it to promote the well-being of students. The reallocation of money to funding local organizations that support impoverished students would show that the University is in support of students facing injustice and is willing to use the money these students work hard to bring in to benefit them, not just renovate campus buildings. Throughout this volatile year, the University administration has done a commendable job of saving face in response to student-initiated petitions that demanded the renaming of buildings on campus who honored the legacies of men tied to Confederate leadership, slavery and eugenics. Students pushed for renaming with the intent to highlight the diversity of the history of Black people and people of color on campus. Instead of hearing those ideas out, the UA Board of Trustees gave the buildings generic names that only frustrated students more. HOW CAN CAMPUS CULTURE SHIFT TOWARD INCLUSIVITY? Randall Ceneus, an Auburn alumnus and previous track and field captain, was complimentary of Auburn’s approach to conversations centering race, as the coaching staff initiated frequent panels and conversations amongst student athletes. “If student athletes became more knowledgeable about challenging infrastructure of institutions that disadvantage Black people, then they could use the attention they get in order to shift the conversation,” Ceneus said. “Student athletes carry a lot of influence on campus. If they are very intelligent towards these social issues, they could convey this more in campus culture.” CW / Keely Brewer It’s clear now that there is much to be done regarding the University’s behavior toward Black people and people of color on campus. All of the student athlete sources interviewed for this column agreed with that sentiment and offered their perspectives on what could be done. Two sources agreed that a start to real change could begin with Black Greek life. Currently, only one Black sorority and one Black fraternity have on-campus housing. Those two student athletes agreed that Black Greek life deserves more and better housing. More substantial change could be made at the administrative level, as well as recruiting more diverse candidates for professorship and retaining those candidates for tenure. Any way you consider it, it’s clear that the University needs to do more than get football players permits to march up the street. It’s time to go beyond listening and act.
WE’RE HIRING! The CW is hiring two race and identity reporters for the spring 2021 semester. These are paid staff positions, and they will be part of the CW’s growing race and identity desk. underrepresented on campus, or they might embrace their creative side by producing podcasts or playlists curated for students who belong to specific cultural or affinity groups. The data reporter would assist the news desk with requesting and analyzing demographic data – whether it be on race or gender disparities in faculty pay, discipline policies, or analyzing the efficacy of recruiting and retention efforts. Having a reporter devoted to requesting hard-to-get demographic data will enhance our newsroom’s investigative efforts and provide incredibly important insights into how – and where – the University can be more equitable. The features reporter will help spark wider conversations about race, identity and social change. This reporter might also scope out human interest stories that celebrate the accomplishments of students who are Ideally, these two reporters will work together on long-form projects. Both might, for example, spend some time digging through archives or conducting oral histories to give rich context to stories ranging from campus activism to building names – angles that breaking news coverage often obscure or even erase. Interested? Visit cw.ua.edu/apply to apply. Applications are open now until Friday, Jan. 8 at midnight. Nineteen Fifty-Six Magazine is hiring for editors and contributors. Go to 1956magazine.ua.edu/apply to apply for positions. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. 27
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