A specific proposal for UT athletics to create opportunity for african american education

[Brisketexan 104,688]

I'm putting this in the FB board as it is our primary "athletics" board, although this idea relates specifically to baseball and basketball.

So, starting from the premise that "talk is cheap, action matters," and accepting the fact that UT athletics is at the mountaintop (yeah, I know, I mean in terms of visibility and such), what else can UT athletics do to use its position of power to do what I think is most important: to provide more opportunities and pathways to education and economic strength for historically marginalized communities?  Yes, there's a LOT that UT athletics can do, but here's one specific idea:

Each season, both UT baseball and UT basketball should schedule a game against an HBCU -- Huston Tillotson, Prairie View, etc.  They are both NAIA programs, so it's just an exhibition. But this came to mind when we listened to the president of Huston Tillotson speak (and damn, she's sharp) about how development/donations in this community seemed to pass them by, and they are hard to come by.  I mentioned that to GOLL, and he said "well, they oughta do what UT did -- get themselves a football team.  That's where the donations come from."  And he was kinda right.  Visibility is the first step in fundraising.

So, let's use OUR visibility to give it to them.  Let's schedule at least one game in each sport.  And let's use that game not to focus on UT athletics, but to raise the profile of some universities that are doing good work, and are bedrock foundations in the community.  At each game, we do the following things:

1)  At the introduction of the game, talk about the university (for example, HT is the oldest university in Austin).  Specifically discuss a development/donation drive that university is currently working on (a specific scholarship fund, that sort of thing).

2)  Include in the program, and put up on the scoreboard, a Venmo or similar account for that development/donation for people in attendance to contribute to, right then and there.

3)  Televise the game on the Longhorn Network or other major media.  At the beginning of the broadcast, show a development/video commercial for the HBCU.  Provide other ad slots during the game.

4)  On the TV broadcast, mention the donation program and put up the Venmo address.  Do so more than once.

 

This will do several things.  First, it will amplify the presence and visibility of the universities, using our large and powerful platform.  We are at the top of the mountain -- let's use that position to amplify voices that need it.  Second, it will reach directly into a development/donation network, and make a specific ask.  Third, it will hopefully CONTINUE that development network into the future, so that some of those donors can become lasting sources of support.

And yes, I know that there is much UT can and should do to support black students and black student athletes right here on campus. This is not an either/or -- it's an also.  We are the flagship university of the state.  We should lead, and work for the benefit of the state as a whole, even when it doesn't bring any direct benefit to the university itself.

Anyway, this is my idea.  I'd like to think it through, refine it, and take it to the athletics department (I have a connection or two - not the most powerful folks, but not nobodies).  That said, the more voices who agree, the better I think it would be received.  So, share whatever thoughts you may have.

[Randolph Duke 4,034]

No. The economic stability of HBCUs will not be materially affected by half-measures or by monetary transfers related to intercollegiate athletics. If you want to help put HBCUs on a firm financial footing, great. But don’t burden collegiate athletics departments with social engineering obligations. 

Feel free to donate any sum of money you choose to the worthy cause you set forth. Volunteer your time. Help involve others. But the designed mission of UT athletics is not to somehow insert themselves into the management or administration of state HBCUs. 

Design the right solution to solve the problem. Either you care enough to do it right, or you don’t. 

 

Edited June 13, 2020 by Randolph Duke

[honolulu horn 6,157]

Seems like a great idea to me. 

[Brisketexan 104,688]

1 minute ago, Randolph Duke said:

No. The economic stability of HBCUs will not be materially affected by half-measures or by monetary transfers related to intercollegiate athletics. If you want to help put HBCUs on a firm financial footing, great. But don’t burden collegiate athletics departments with social engineering obligations. 

 

Sure they'll be helped.  Will it transform their budgets overnight?  Of course not.  But it's incremental.  And most importantly, it's local and community-based.  We don't solve the world's issues with a single swipe of a magic wand.  We do it person by person, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood.  And HT is our neighbor.

And why not burden athletics with social engineering obligations?  It's literally our most visible face in the world at large.  Athletics are supposed to serve the mission of the university, not vice-versa.

As for your overall thesis, UT doesn't have to solve every problem in the world.  We can't.  But we can be an engine helping to drive those solutions.  The slogan isn't "UT, what we do changes the world."  It's "what STARTS here changes the world."  Let's lead from the front.  Let's be the university, and the agent for positive change, that we say we are.

[Iceman 2,646]

SEC's gonna be all over that shit during football season...

 

 

But yes, I like the idea for hoops and baseball.

[The Earl of Texas 3,131]

Not only should we do this, but ESPN and the like should back it with broadcast dollars and exposure.

[Randolph Duke 4,034]

58 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Sure they'll be helped.  Will it transform their budgets overnight?  Of course not.  But it's incremental.  And most importantly, it's local and community-based.  We don't solve the world's issues with a single swipe of a magic wand.  We do it person by person, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood.  And HT is our neighbor.

And why not burden athletics with social engineering obligations?  It's literally our most visible face in the world at large.  Athletics are supposed to serve the mission of the university, not vice-versa.

As for your overall thesis, UT doesn't have to solve every problem in the world.  We can't.  But we can be an engine helping to drive those solutions.  The slogan isn't "UT, what we do changes the world."  It's "what STARTS here changes the world."  Let's lead from the front.  Let's be the university, and the agent for positive change, that we say we are.

Ever heard of the term “mission creep”?

If ESPN wants to involve itself in the economics of HBCUs, fine. 

Expanding the mission of UT Austin away from the taxpayer mandated responsibility of focusing on the needs of the students and directing resources to a newly declared additional responsibilities related to private HBCUs is not good policy. 

[Bullneck 19,020]

Baseball - good fit

Basketball - good fit

Football - JV v. their varsity.  Tech's first team played against Notre Dame's JV once (and I'm sure there are many examples I'm not aware of) so there's precedent.

 

 

[Bullneck 19,020]

1 hour ago, Randolph Duke said:

No. The economic stability of HBCUs will not be materially affected by half-measures or by monetary transfers related to intercollegiate athletics. If you want to help put HBCUs on a firm financial footing, great. But don’t burden collegiate athletics departments with social engineering obligations. 

Feel free to donate any sum of money you choose to the worthy cause you set forth. Volunteer your time. Help involve others. But the designed mission of UT athletics is not to somehow insert themselves into the management or administration of state HBCUs. 

Design the right solution to solve the problem. Either you care enough to do it right, or you don’t. 

 

Can you articulate this?

[GHOSTUSER 361]

How about helping our athletes with financial literacy and help them make decisions to create generational wealth instead of blowing $36 million in NFL earnings 

[Helobious 9,483]

6 minutes ago, Randolph Duke said:

Ever heard of the term “mission creep”?

If ESPN wants to involve itself in the economics of HBCUs, fine. 

Expanding the mission of UT Austin away from the taxpayer mandated responsibility of focusing on the needs of the students and directing resources to a newly declared additional responsibilities related to private HBCUs is not good policy. 

Did you read the OP? It involves scheduling a weekday night baseball/basketball game against an HBCU (something UT has done in the past before already) and providing info at the game about the school. In what way is that burdensome to UT? 

[Randolph Duke 4,034]

19 minutes ago, Helobious said:

Did you read the OP? It involves scheduling a weekday night baseball/basketball game against an HBCU (something UT has done in the past before already) and providing info at the game about the school. In what way is that burdensome to UT? 

No, it involves using college athletics to effect financial transfers to HBCUs to promote a social cause. 

If you want to bolster the finances of private universities for social good, petition the legislature to cut funding to UT, allocate the money directly to HBCUs and then tell UT to make up the loss via the athletics department.

Do it cleanly. You will reduce bureaucracies waste if you do.

Edited June 13, 2020 by Randolph Duke

[Brisketexan 104,688]

UT’s mission is to provide education, research, and thought leadership on behalf of the State of Texas, in service to the public.

“Mission

The mission of The University of Texas at Austin is to achieve excellence in the interrelated areas of undergraduate education, graduate education, research and public service. The university provides superior and comprehensive educational opportunities at the baccalaureate through doctoral and special professional educational levels.

The university contributes to the advancement of society through research, creative activity, scholarly inquiry and the development and dissemination of new knowledge, including the commercialization of University discoveries. The university preserves and promotes the arts, benefits the state’s economy, serves the citizens through public programs and provides other public service.”

This isn’t mission creep. It’s our mission.

[RollLeft 5,040]

Seems to be of well intention .  I wouldn't mind it though i'd adjust it so the proceeds fund not only black causes but all disenfranchised groups.      

[Bullneck 19,020]

23 minutes ago, Randolph Duke said:

No, it involves using college athletics to effect financial transfers to HBCUs to promote a social cause. 

If you want to bolster the finances of private universities for social good, petition the legislature to cut funding to UT, allocate the money directly to HBCUs and then tell UT to make up the loss via the athletics department.

Do it cleanly. You will reduce bureaucracies waste if you do.

How is scheduling a sporting event creating a bureaucracy?

[Murfdogg21 4,412]

The prospect of regularly scheduled games against PV, TSU, Grambling, etc. to raise awareness and educate is one of the better proposals to come out of this. 

[Longhorn 145]

Do you not follow Texas baseball? They play an HBC series/game every year.

[jimmyjazz 45,569]

3 hours ago, Randolph Duke said:

No. The economic stability of HBCUs will not be materially affected by half-measures or by monetary transfers related to intercollegiate athletics. If you want to help put HBCUs on a firm financial footing, great. But don’t burden collegiate athletics departments with social engineering obligations. 

Feel free to donate any sum of money you choose to the worthy cause you set forth. Volunteer your time. Help involve others. But the designed mission of UT athletics is not to somehow insert themselves into the management or administration of state HBCUs. 

Design the right solution to solve the problem. Either you care enough to do it right, or you don’t. 

 

Wow.

Tone.  Deaf.

 

I think Brisket's idea is great.  It's a basketball game, a baseball game.  The latter might even be competitive, and that's not a slight on UT baseball either.  It's just the way baseball goes.

Promote it SPECIFICALLY with the idea of building bridges between the communities.  Do UT athletes (or students) typically hang out with HT students?  If not, why not?  They sure as hell know a bunch of kids at Texas State, and that's 30 miles away, not 3 miles. 

Action is better than inaction unless the action is wholly insincere or malicious.

 

Great idea, Brisket.  Let me know how I can help.

Edited June 13, 2020 by jimmyjazz

[Murfdogg21 4,412]

We can start playing (Prairie View) A&M every Thanksgiving!

poor aggies!

[jimmyjazz 45,569]

I'd amplify the idea and say maybe some kind of get-together the night before between the teams would be cool (hey Tom Herman, you have a nice house, bring all those kids over).  And, a "Bevo Boulevard" type event before tipoff or first pitch where the fans get together would be a no-brainer.

[Brisketexan 104,688]

Do you not follow Texas baseball? They play an HBC series/game every year.

Yeah, I do - the fact that we already do so gave me my jumping off point for the idea to make it more deliberate and to purposefully amplify the event.

I'd amplify the idea and say maybe some kind of get-together the night before between the teams would be cool (hey Tom Herman, you have a nice house, bring all those kids over).  And, a "Bevo Boulevard" type event before tipoff or first pitch where the fans get together would be a no-brainer.

Those are pretty cool ideas - a UT-HT block-party/tailgate would be awesome.

[jimmyjazz 45,569]

This is pushing it, but a "black and white out" promotion could work if handled appropriately.  (Note to self -- horizontal stripes are a non-starter.)

 

 

[TwiceHorn 31,310]

If the only point were revenue from the game, Duke might have a point.  But it's not, so I think it's probably a good idea.

I do kind of wonder if slapping the teams together outside the game context might cause more friction than fellowship.  

[Murfdogg21 4,412]

6 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

This is pushing it, but a "black and white out" promotion could work if handled appropriately.  (Note to self -- horizontal stripes are a non-starter.)

 

 

Not very inclusive to the browns, yellows, and reds!

[jimmyjazz 45,569]

3 minutes ago, Murfdogg21 said:

Not very inclusive to the browns, yellows, and reds!

A few Sharpies will fix that right up!

[Brisketexan 104,688]

If the only point were revenue from the game, Duke might have a point.  But it's not, so I think it's probably a good idea.
I do kind of wonder if slapping the teams together outside the game context might cause more friction than fellowship.  

Shit, have em play a pick up game with mixed rosters. Just for fucking fun.

[TwiceHorn 31,310]

3 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Shit, have em play a pick up game with mixed rosters. Just for fucking fun.

Actually, I'm thinking football and those events at bowl games where I think things get a little tense or salty at times.  Roundball and baseball players are probably less aggro all around.

[Brisketexan 104,688]

Actually, I'm thinking football and those events at bowl games where I think things get a little tense or salty at times.  Roundball and baseball players are probably less aggro all around.

Well, there’s also the fact that we aren’t serious rivals. I mean, most of these programs are NAIA and such.

[John Lawrence 244]

Not a bad idea.  I see no harm and a lot of potential benefits.

[Lhorn 4,886]

3 hours ago, Murfdogg21 said:

Not very inclusive to the browns, yellows, and reds!

I agree.  The shirt above shows black and white as separate.  "Separate, but equal."  Sound familiar to any of you racists?  The correct color should be grey mixed with proportionate amount of brownish red.  Kinda of a light "diarrhea" color. 

[Helobious 9,483]

Somewhat related: PVA&M actually had a somewhat respectable baseball program up until their coach, Michael Robertson, left a few years ago. They were the only team in a long time to win the SWAC baseball tournament with a predominantly black roster. The same coach led Houston North Forest to the 4A state baseball tourney in 2002 with a mostly black roster, first team ever to do so. Guy was a comically underrated coach his whole career, no idea what he does now.

Edited June 14, 2020 by Helobious

[WBT 20,429]

Basketball has played Prairie View and Florida A&M in the last 3 years.  Baseball plays TSU every year.  All have been on the LHN.  No one cares; no one watches other than the diehards that watch every game.  So what are you proposing?  That we make these games telethons for the visitors?  We're already buying wins off of them which provides them more funding than this hypothetical telethon with a tiny audience would.

And Prairie View and TSU are in the swickety SWAC and therefore NCAA FCS for football and NCAA Div 1 for everything else.  Not NAIA.

Edited June 14, 2020 by WBT

[Brisketexan 104,688]

Basketball has played Prairie View and Florida A&M in the last 3 years.  Baseball plays TSU every year.  All have been on the LHN.  No one cares; no one watches other than the diehards that watch every game.  So what are you proposing?  That we make these games telethons for the visitors?  We're already buying wins off of them which provides them more funding than this hypothetical telethon with a tiny audience would.
And Prairie View and TSU are in the swickety SWAC and therefore NCAA FCS for football and NCAA Div 1 for everything else.  Not NAIA.

Huh, thought PV was also NAIA. My bad.

My point is making it more deliberate, and yes, giving them more of a platform for visibility and financial development.

Again, it’s not everything, it doesn’t solve every problem in the world. But it can add leverage and help. And it’s using both athletics and the university’s profile for good to our state and the people who live in it.

[bullet 1,596]

17 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Huh, thought PV was also NAIA. My bad.

My point is making it more deliberate, and yes, giving them more of a platform for visibility and financial development.

Again, it’s not everything, it doesn’t solve every problem in the world. But it can add leverage and help. And it’s using both athletics and the university’s profile for good to our state and the people who live in it.

40-45 years ago they were NAIA.  Little behind the times.

[Brisketexan 104,688]

40-45 years ago they were NAIA.  Little behind the times.

Well, I ain’t a young fella. I remember sending and receiving memes via fax.

[ImissWallyPryor 9,045]

12 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Each season, both UT baseball and UT basketball should schedule a game against an HBCU -- Huston Tillotson, Prairie View, etc.

Add football and aggy will steal your idea. 

[David Dennison 18,662]

11 hours ago, Iconoclast Texan said:

How about helping our athletes with financial literacy and help them make decisions to create generational wealth instead of blowing $36 million in NFL earnings 

That's a great idea. That way they can go into finance when their playing careers are over and get bailed out by taxpayers when they blow other peoples' money.

It's a win/win.

[realgreggym 834]

These are all good ideas but many of them are feel good ideas. The way that things begin to change is by actual substance. For example, both schools can designate several inner city schools for this program. Depending on the sport, here is what you do. You get an athlete from each school as a tag team in a class. Say you have a scholarship athlete from both schools teach a class for as much of the semester as their sport will allow. So player x from UT and player z from HT will teach say a 5th grade class every Tuesday from 1-2. They can talk about whatever subjects they like, successful black businessmen, a great politician like Barbara Jordan, a black supreme court justice, the importance of getting a college education, etc. Player b from UT and player d from HT may wind up teaching an 8th grade class from 2-3 every Thursday and can choose whatever topics they think appropriate. Now you have athletes from both school teaching 50.100, 200 etc. classes in the inner city. Now you start making real change and you expand from there.

[Randolph Duke 4,034]

4 hours ago, realgreggym said:

These are all good ideas but many of them are feel good ideas. The way that things begin to change is by actual substance. For example, both schools can designate several inner city schools for this program. Depending on the sport, here is what you do. You get an athlete from each school as a tag team in a class. Say you have a scholarship athlete from both schools teach a class for as much of the semester as their sport will allow. So player x from UT and player z from HT will teach say a 5th grade class every Tuesday from 1-2. They can talk about whatever subjects they like, successful black businessmen, a great politician like Barbara Jordan, a black supreme court justice, the importance of getting a college education, etc. Player b from UT and player d from HT may wind up teaching an 8th grade class from 2-3 every Thursday and can choose whatever topics they think appropriate. Now you have athletes from both school teaching 50.100, 200 etc. classes in the inner city. Now you start making real change and you expand from there.

If you feel passionately about this then by all means pour your personal contributions and personal resources into trying to make this a reality. 

Personal sacrifice and personal involvement are essential to fostering material change. Personally, I think athletes already have enough unpaid demands on their time without adding additional classroom prep and outside teaching responsibilities.

I’m not sure the athletes will agree or whether they are even qualified to teach in local schools. Last I heard their priorities were more toward getting paid for sponsorships, finding time to meet their own classroom requirements, training, practicing, and somehow finding enough time for personal interests. 

Haven’t we put enough on the plates of student athletes without mandating they take on still additional demands in the name is social experimentation? 

Who not talk to the public state universities with large minority enrollments, ask them what they need to be more effective, and then ask the alumni to petition the legislature to get them the additional resources they need and they request. 

At the end of the day, their demands will start and end with money. If you want to really foster change, push to cut funding to UT Austin and to send that money to the privately controlled HBCUs. In the mean time, start involving yourself and donating financially and meaningfully to HBCUs. Better yet, bring TSU into the UT System, cut PUF funding to UT Austin and dedicate those funds to building an urban, minority focused system school. 

Edited June 14, 2020 by Randolph Duke

[Macanudo 12,930]

4 hours ago, realgreggym said:

These are all good ideas but many of them are feel good ideas. The way that things begin to change is by actual substance. For example, both schools can designate several inner city schools for this program. Depending on the sport, here is what you do. You get an athlete from each school as a tag team in a class. Say you have a scholarship athlete from both schools teach a class for as much of the semester as their sport will allow. So player x from UT and player z from HT will teach say a 5th grade class every Tuesday from 1-2. They can talk about whatever subjects they like, successful black businessmen, a great politician like Barbara Jordan, a black supreme court justice, the importance of getting a college education, etc. Player b from UT and player d from HT may wind up teaching an 8th grade class from 2-3 every Thursday and can choose whatever topics they think appropriate. Now you have athletes from both school teaching 50.100, 200 etc. classes in the inner city. Now you start making real change and you expand from there.

Are these mandatory teaching slots?  Something part of every athletes degrees plan regardless of sport played?   Because even if we exclude some of our sports, with football included UT's sheer size, athletics wise, dwarfs Huston-Tillotson. 

I do kind of like the overall idea.   Just not sure of the way to implement it. 

[Randolph Duke 4,034]

2 minutes ago, Macanudo said:

Are these mandatory teaching slots?  Something part of every athletes degrees plan regardless of sport played?   Because even if we exclude some of our sports, with football included UT's sheer size, athletics wise, dwarfs Huston-Tillotson. 

I do kind of like the overall idea.   Just not sure of the way to implement it. 

Many student athletes struggled to qualify academically. Are they really qualified to become teachers in public secondary schools? If so, what does that say about the quality of teaching we are offering to begin with than an 18 year old with no training is the best person for the job?

We will never effect meaningful change by alumni essentially doing little other than dictating additional social engineering obligations on unqualified student athletes who themselves need to learn in their chosen fields. Often with much remedial tutoring and assistance. 

Lets not create additional obstacles for student athletes, all in the name of social engineering. Let’s focus on graduating qualified others who can then spend a career effecting meaning change with our assistance. We don’t need to push student athletes toward academic failure because we mandated they take on additional social engineering obligations that would be better handled by trained and properly educated professionals. 

 

[Armybrat 40,751]

Can you imagine what Shipley would teach?

Are there still pro bass tournaments?

[Murfdogg21 4,412]

26 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Can you imagine what Shipley would teach?

Are there still pro bass tournaments?

Making amazing donuts in Home Ec?

[Alien Octopus 503]

1 hour ago, Murfdogg21 said:

Making amazing donuts in Home Ec?

Route running 101

[realgreggym 834]

5 hours ago, Macanudo said:

Are these mandatory teaching slots?  Something part of every athletes degrees plan regardless of sport played?   Because even if we exclude some of our sports, with football included UT's sheer size, athletics wise, dwarfs Huston-Tillotson. 

I do kind of like the overall idea.   Just not sure of the way to implement it. 

I would let the players decide if its mandatory. Personally I wouldn't make this mandatory but if the players want change instead of just talking, this is their chance to prove it. They want change. Here is one way to show actions speak louder than words. You can make a lot of money catching a bass and making donuts. Also, maybe the athletic dept. takes a sum of money and puts it aside for non athletic scholarships. Maybe each athletic team gets a specific number of scholarship slots and minority kids can apply for those scholarships and it has nothing to do with athletics. Each team can pick a committee to decide who can get one of those scholarships. For example, say there is an inner city kid that has average grades but an amazing talent for art.   Maybe one of the teams gives him a scholarship. Maybe another inner city child also has average grades but when she speaks, you think that you're listening to a young Barbara Jordan. Get her into school and polish that diamond. Let the athletes start making some of these decisions.  Maybe each team can have an hour each week in a classroom to talk about former great athletes regardless of color from their teams in the past. For example, I wonder how many of the basketball kids know that Dr. Denton Cooley was probably one of the 3 best heart surgeons in the history of medicine. I believe that there is a black judge whose last name is Jefferson who played football in the early years and of course, Barbara Jordan. There are a lot of things that you can do besides tearing down statutes which is stupid to begin with.  

[realgreggym 834]

5 hours ago, Randolph Duke said:

Many student athletes struggled to qualify academically. Are they really qualified to become teachers in public secondary schools? If so, what does that say about the quality of teaching we are offering to begin with than an 18 year old with no training is the best person for the job?

We will never effect meaningful change by alumni essentially doing little other than dictating additional social engineering obligations on unqualified student athletes who themselves need to learn in their chosen fields. Often with much remedial tutoring and assistance. 

Lets not create additional obstacles for student athletes, all in the name of social engineering. Let’s focus on graduating qualified others who can then spend a career effecting meaning change with our assistance. We don’t need to push student athletes toward academic failure because we mandated they take on additional social engineering obligations that would be better handled by trained and properly educated professionals. 

 

You're completely missing the point. You're not having 18 year olds teaching calculus, quantum physics or modern portfolio theory. Let those 18 year olds study black history and go talk to the kids. Teach them about successful black businessmen and women and if they stay in school, maybe they can be successful and make a positive impact on their communities. No one other than you is talking about social engineering. The kids are talking about outreach to the inner cities and this may be one way to do so.

[realgreggym 834]

6 hours ago, Randolph Duke said:

If you feel passionately about this then by all means pour your personal contributions and personal resources into trying to make this a reality. 

Personal sacrifice and personal involvement are essential to fostering material change. Personally, I think athletes already have enough unpaid demands on their time without adding additional classroom prep and outside teaching responsibilities.

I’m not sure the athletes will agree or whether they are even qualified to teach in local schools. Last I heard their priorities were more toward getting paid for sponsorships, finding time to meet their own classroom requirements, training, practicing, and somehow finding enough time for personal interests. 

Haven’t we put enough on the plates of student athletes without mandating they take on still additional demands in the name is social experimentation? 

Who not talk to the public state universities with large minority enrollments, ask them what they need to be more effective, and then ask the alumni to petition the legislature to get them the additional resources they need and they request. 

At the end of the day, their demands will start and end with money. If you want to really foster change, push to cut funding to UT Austin and to send that money to the privately controlled HBCUs. In the mean time, start involving yourself and donating financially and meaningfully to HBCUs. Better yet, bring TSU into the UT System, cut PUF funding to UT Austin and dedicate those funds to building an urban, minority focused system school. 

The kids were the ones that talked about outreach and this is one way to do so. We're talking about maybe an hour a week in the spring semester. I will tell you what I've done in the past and then you can tell what you've done. When I was in school, I had several black teammates and we all got along great. The black kids that went to good schools like mine did  fine in class. The kids that went to inner city schools or small town schools with little resources struggled and ultimately had to leave school. That was upsetting to me because those kids worked hard but were not adequately prepared for college through no fault of their own. I decided that when I got out of school, I would do whatever I could to help if I saw an opportunity to do so. In 1980, I was 26, single and self employed but saw an opportunity to go teach in the inner city and I jumped on it. I was a non paid volunteer so whenever I was in class, I wasn't earning a living but this was important enough that I was willing to make the sacrifice. I taught 4th and 8th grade minority kids. I would be the class instructor every Friday morning and usually taught 3 classes a semester. So the kids would have their regular teacher Monday thru Thursday and I was their teacher evert Friday. I did this for 40 straight semesters. That's 20 straight years. It cost me somewhere between 500k-750k of my time and money. With the help of others, we helped put many black and illegal Mexican kids through college . I also helped raise money and taught roughly 100 training classes to get more volunteers to teach. I wish that I could have done more for these kids because back then as today, very few give a damn about them. Randolph, let's hear what you've done. The purpose of my comments  are due to the fact that the football players wanted outreach to the inner city and this is one way that they can do so. If they believe that inner city out reach is important, quit talking about it and go do something about it. Talk is cheap.

[HornOnTheBayou 8,881]

20 hours ago, ImissWallyPryor said:

Add football and aggy will steal your idea. 

This is what I'm afraid of. In fact, A&M might try and top us by scheduling a November, non-conference game against the Texas School for the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind to raise awareness of .... you know, kids who don't talk and see stuff good.

Actually, the A&M pinball team was going to try this, but the TSDDB got a ringer kid who even on their favorite table can beat their best.

[Deej 76,582]

That would be Texas School for the Dumb vs. Texas School for the Deaf and Blind. 

[Js1 85,141]

Looks like the ACC liked Brisket’s idea