September is always a HUGE time for me, personally. I’ve spent many a year getting ready for the start of school – organizing my classroom, gathering curricular resources, contacting parents and students…
…but none of that is why this month is huge.
I have, also, spent many a September as a football coach, meaning I needed to get ready for a (hopefully) long season.
September means football!
As a fan, I love the game. I watch collegiate football, as well as the NFL. I’ll watch high school games. I just love the gridiron!
As I consider this time of year, remember that there are so many connections to Black history through sports and the game of football. There is the modern context of Colin Kaepernick and his protests to bring awareness to police brutality in the United States. There are conversations worth engaging in about the support of HBCU’s in the United States, and we can look at athletic programs such as football as a microcosm of the inequities in higher education funding for historically Black institutions.
In Kentucky we have a legacy of great Black men with connections to the game, like Derrick Ramsey with his service as Kentucky Secretary of Education and Workforce Development after his long NFL professional career. The University of Kentucky’s first Black quarterback has enjoyed success in athletics and beyond.
KET has a great documentary entitled Black in Blue that details the experiences of Nate Northington and Greg Page, who along with Wilbur Hackett, and Houston Hogg integrated the Southeastern Conference back in the 1960’s as the first Black football players at the University of Kentucky. A statue sits outside of Kroger Field to honor these four men.
As we watch the games on Friday nights across the Commonwealth, and as we cheer on our teams on Saturdays and Sundays, let’s not forget the legacy that Kentucky has left on the game of football.
Enjoy the games- maybe I’ll even see you at Kroger Field on a Saturday this Fall!