To be Black and a college sports fan in the MAGA era

Get the Point!

For some Black fans of major college sports in the MAGA era, we often have to take the bitter with the sweet!

2025 Florida Gators Men's National Basketball Champions!

Today, I've seen commentary questioning whether Blacks should celebrate the University of Florida's basketball championship last night—or Ohio State's football championship last January—when both schools have slashed minority acceptance, scholarships, and DEI programs to comply with Donald Trump's MAGA policy positions. Trust, I fully understand this argument and am similarly frustrated that the same politicians who are closing doors on talented Black students who aren't athletes—have kept the doors wide open for talented Black student-athletes.

And yet, I think that some (not all) of the outrage is selective because many of the same folks questioning Black alumni and fans of UF and Ohio State this school year can be found openly cheering for their favorite PWI schools/teams one minute—all the while bashing their favorite school's PWI rivals as "DEI fund cutters" the next. News flash: EVERY public school in America is in the pitiful position of having to bend the knee to Trumpism on minority admissions, minority scholarships, and DEI initiatives in order to keep the funds flowing from the federal government. Sadly, so are many public HBCU's (and even some private ones) who realize the critical importance of federal grants, research allocations, and student loans to keep their schools "in the black" financially.

As many of my followers know, I hold a bachelor's degree in history from Morehouse College, a master's degree in social science/history from Florida A&M University, and a law degree from the University of Florida. My degrees from these schools have allowed me to work in education, journalism, or law/public policy over the past 31 years. So, when it comes to the sports teams from these schools, whenever I say "Da 'House," "Strike Rattlers," or "Go Gators," I do so as an alumnus who definitely earned the right to cheer for those teams!

Ohio State University College Football Playoff Champions!

But my hard earned rights as a graduate come with a solemn responsibility to call out what's wrong in real time! To this end, I have been calling the University of Florida out since my days as a columnist for the Independent Florida Alligator in the late 90's with respect to my concerns about race and racism, historically and at present, within the State of Florida's highest ranked predominantly white institution (PWI). My latest beefs have included UF funding cuts that detrimentally impact Black enrollment; the suppression of free speech rights and tenure that has targeted professors of Black History/Culture, professors conducting research, speaking out, or testifying against Gov. Ron Desantis' version of the MAGA agenda, as well as UF sanctioned invitations to alt right conservatives who spread their bigotry with sophistry and "doublespeak!"

I find the above issues disturbing, especially considering that tax revenue from Black folks, too, go to ensuring that UF remains a well funded predominantly white—and whiter by the year—member of the exclusive American Association of Universities (AAU). Indeed, it's too bad that we, the Black citizens whose children, grandchildren, and other relatives keep receiving "we regret to inform you" letters from the UF admissions office, can't "opt out" and earmark our tax dollars directly to FAMU or other Florida schools with higher Black enrollment numbers!

But since we can't opt out, what we can and must do is litigate, agitate, and educate the voting public about systemic inequalities during this Trump-Desantis era that are establishing Jim Crow 2.0 more and more each day. This, despite the fact that Black folks have "definitely earned it," with "it" being the right to attend any public predominantly white institution that our credentials qualify us to attend!

And pertinent to this post, we ALL have earned the right to support those young Black men and women who are playing their hearts out at PWI schools that have embraced the MAGA culture—schools that are cheered for each fall and spring by the “poorly educated” MAGA minions who don't have a clue about where the university library is, but can find the football stadium and basketball arena just fine!

Conversely, Blacks who refuse to cheer for any PWI sports teams have earned that right, too—to agree to disagree is the essence of liberty! But for those who refrain from cheering, or question the choice of these young Black student-athletes to attend PWI's, I will end this post by stating that our younger Brothers and Sisters are running, blocking, tackling, catching, and hooping proof that skill and merit matters more than the "Good Old Boy" network on the field of play—even if the predominantly white hypocrites in charge of the predominantly universities (and the federal/state purse strings) are trying to take America backwards concerning Black educational access to schools that were historically closed to people of color.

Lest we forget…