Star prep black athletes considering black schools - high school athletes planning for college

Jet, April 26, 1993

The recent success of Southern University and Tennessee State University in the NCAA tourney, and Jackson State University's progress through the NIT, point out a resurgence of athletic programs at Black colleges, largely because Black blue-chip athletes are staying in the fold.

"There hasn't been a great groundswell of athletes coming back," James Frank, commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), told the Chronicle of Higher Education, "but there sure have been some, and it's noticeable. Whether or not it's a trend, we'll see."

Southern University beat ACC Tournament Champion Georgia Tech, while Tennessee State won the crown of the predominantly White Ohio Valley Conference, earning an automatic berth in the tournament. Southern's team featured several players who were recruited by White schools, but opted instead for Black schools.

The return is also being noticed in football. It's not just a matter of athletics, say some, but also a matter of academics.

"There are Black athletes who are looking at graduation rates, and whether or not they are going to get a chance to play, and what kind of environment they want to be in," said Ken Riley, head football coach at Florida A&M, and a former NFL All-Pro defensive back. "We've always been fortunate to get a few blue-chip athletes each year, but now its better than before. We have a chance of getting more."

"You'll find the trend not only in athletics, but in the rest of society as well," says Ben Jobe, Southern's men's basketball coach. "The pendulum seems to be swinging in the direction of more segregation. Youngsters are becoming disenchanted with the promises of desegregation, just as their grandparents did when they were given 40 acres and a mule. The acres went dry and the mule died."