Bluefield College, an NAIA school in Virginia, forfeited a men’s basketball game tonight after the team was suspended for kneeling during the national anthem several times prior to games in January and February.
Here are more details from ESPN:
“The basis for my decision stemmed from my own awareness of how kneeling is perceived by some in our country, and I did not think a number of our alumni, friends, and donors of the College would view the act of kneeling during the anthem in a positive way,” Olive said.
In the statement, Olive, who is white, recounted an ongoing discussion with coaches, players and the school’s athletic director, Tonia Walker, who is Black, over kneeling during the anthem, but suspensions were handed down only after media reports surfaced last week.
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Olive said he became aware on Feb. 1 that players had knelt during the anthem for the previous home game and later learned that the same had occurred in two prior road games. At that point, he informed coach Richard Morgan that kneeling during the anthem would not be tolerated.
This stands in direct contrast with what the basketball team was told before the season, according to Bluefield football player Jewels Gray, who is close with many members of the basketball team and has discussed the suspensions with players. Gray said the basketball players were told they were not allowed to release a statement of their own or speak to the media.
“Why would our school contradict what they said?” Gray said. “We had meetings before the season with [the athletic director] and the president, and they stated that we can kneel and they’d support and be behind us, 100 percent.”
Players again knelt during the anthem before their Feb. 2 game, ignoring the order. For the following game, on Feb. 4, Morgan kept the team in the locker room during the anthem to avoid further controversy.
Olive said he reached out to Morgan and members of the team to discuss the protests, saying that he understood their message and supported calls for racial justice — but he did not condone doing so during the national anthem.
“I further told them that their intended message in bringing awareness of racial injustices was being diluted or completely lost because some saw their act of kneeling as being disrespectful to the flag, our country, and to our veterans,” Olive said in the statement. “In my opinion, their message was not being heard.”
Olive said players told him they had no intention to be disrespectful and shared personal stories of racism they’d faced. In response, Olive said the campus leadership team is currently working on a forum to discuss racial inequality.
At the team’s next game, on Feb. 6, the team again remained in the locker room, but on Feb. 8, a local TV station showed video of players kneeling as part of a news story. The following day, Olive said the school released a statement, that included input from the players, responding to “erroneous and, at times, maligning information being shared about our student-athletes and college.”
That night, however, players again knelt for the anthem before Bluefield’s home game against Tennessee Wesleyan. After the game, Olive informed Morgan that there would be “consequences.”
“It goes without saying that this has been a challenging process for all parties involved,” Olive said in his statement. “I have heard and I understand the perspective of our players as to why they desire to kneel during the National Anthem. I also know this form of protest immediately shuts down a number of individuals from listening to the intended message because of their perspective regarding the flag. No individual’s sincere motives are inherently wrong. But I continue to contend that we will not get to where we want AND NEED to get as a country in addressing these racial issues without making honest attempts at creating pathways that bring people together for a common cause.”
Today I stood up for what I believe in and I peacefully protested social injustice during my football practice. Colored inequality has occurred on my college campus and within my community against student athletes recently and that’s wrong.
I hope I have twitters support pic.twitter.com/FrayzzrAH3— Jewels Gray (@15_toetap) February 11, 2021
