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Boom Box Classic Incident - Display of Passion, Not Malice

by NOIRE Online

November 15, 2021 475 views
 

If you have ever had the opportunity to attend a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) football game, you can understand what occurred this past weekend between Southern University and Jackson State University. 

HBCU games draw people in, even if they never attended an HBCU and are not sports fans. The environment, atmosphere, people, food, music, and game pulls you in as your own. You become a part of the experience. You become INVESTED!

The Boombox Classic brought the highest attendance of any game, seating over 25,000 fans from both schools.  It was a great game that ended with one team being over the top ecstatic and the other left wondering how it slipped away. At the end of the game, players from Jackson State waved flags and attempted to plant a flag in the field turf of Southern’s beloved A.W. Mumford Stadium. That one act caused the passion shown by both teams to boil over into a pushing and shoving match between the two great programs. After a few minutes, cooler heads prevailed, the players stood for their school’s alma maters, and the 5th quarter began.

Last night, Jackson State’s Head Coach Deion Sanders issued an apology to Southern for his player’s initiation of the conflict. He said he didn’t know why the student attempted to plant the flag in the middle of the rival school’s field or why the student thought it was a good idea. No, it wasn’t a good idea.

However, we have to look at it from the perspective of the players, the students, and those that have a pure love for their school. Just like the spectator is sucked into the nostalgia and comradery of the game, it is intensified for the players. These games are all about passion, rivalry, and deep, deep, deep emotion. Emotions run extremely high in the stands, so we can only imagine what they are like on the field. 

This is not to condone the behavior of either team but to provide an understanding and some grace and mercy where none is ever given to people of color. Sanders’ apology is befitting and necessary in these circumstances. He deserves the utmost respect because this is an example of the proper way of processing and handling these situations. 

This is a valuable lesson for our institutions, students, administration, alumni, and fans. Sanders continues to be an advocate for HBCUs and has made extremely valid and valuable points and contributions. The apology is nothing less than what we should have expected from him. And nothing less than what we should do. He continues to show his love and compassion for our beloved institutions. 

HBCUs are a safe haven for their students. HBCU students are taught to have love and passion for their alma maters. That love and passion spill over into everything that they do. 

Black people have always been held to a higher standard that is unreasonable and unfair. We have been treated as adults from the time we are born, given no sympathy, empathy, mercy, or grace. And in a world where no mercy or grace is given to people of color, these kids deserve understanding from their own. 

People take pride in their schools. However, there is an above-average level of pride for those of us who attended an HBCU. This admiration for the HBCU we attended exists because our parents, siblings, other family members, or friends attended them and spread that love and spirit to us. It may have been the HBCU closest to your hometown, so it became the HBCU of choice in your community. Well, guess what? Pride still exists in our HBCUs today.

We are still trying to overcome. We are still fighting for equality. We are still hoping for change. Well, HBCUs are and have always been places of refuge for Black people. Within the walls of HBCUs, you can be yourself. You can gain knowledge. You can be exposed to people from all over the world. You can find sisterhood and brotherhood. You can become a leader. You can find yourself and determine your future.

At HBCUs, Black people can do everything! We can learn, party, talk trash, fight, make up, and keep it moving. At the end of the day, our behavior doesn’t define who we are. Our outbursts and showing of allegiance to our school are not barbaric! These are acts based on emotion, high energy, passion, love, and pride.

Yes, it was a bad decision for Jackson State’s players to plant a flag in the middle of Southern’s football field. Yes, it was a bad decision for Southern’s players to react in the way they did. However, both groups acted out of pure love, protection, passion, and loyalty for their respective schools. Some institutions wish that their students would show any type of pride or passion for their institution. It was purely love. HBCU LOVE.

In the words of Sanders, “God bless you, Southern. God bless you, Jackson State. God bless HBCUs. God bless you, SWAC.”

 And, as always, we said what we said.

Click Below to see the apology by Coach Prime:

https://youtu.be/3O0rhQQWiK0


[Updated on November 16, 2021]

 
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NOIRE Online
NOIRE is a new online magazine that scopes the Black and multicultural community from a cutting-edge perspective. Our mantra is “Our Lives, Our Stories, Our Voices.” Our vision is to become the leading source of true, high-quality narratives of people of color.
 

 

 

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