South Carolina pols call on black recruits to boycott Gamecocks

[Blue_Tires]

Lingering racial tensions have made their mark on South Carolina sports for years, notably in the NCAA ban on all postseason games in the state in response to the Confederate flag that flies on statehouse grounds, occasionally exercised for conference tournaments as well. The latest protest, though, is coming from within the state's own borders, by members of the legislature -- including a former South Carolina player -- who have begun encouraging black recruits to renege on their commitment to the Gamecocks in opposition to the pending exit of the only black member of the university's board of trustees:

State Rep. David Weeks, chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he doesn't think there are enough votes in the Legislature to get lawyer Leah B. Moody appointed to a full term on the 22-member board next month. She is the board's only black member and is finishing the term of a trustee who resigned before pleading guilty to bank fraud.

"We are asking young athletes to be aware … there are folks in this state who say it's fine to play ball but not be on the governing board," Weeks said.

He and several other lawmakers, including former Gamecocks lineman Anton Gunn, a black Democrat from Columbia, said members of the black community were calling recruits and their families and asking them to rethink playing for the school. <...>
Lawmakers would not say how many recruits had been called or whether any were reconsidering their commitments. They also would not identify the callers.

Taking the fight to the football team seems like the last, desperate blow in an ongoing fight over the makeup of the board, which significantly underrepresents South Carolina's black population even with one member. About 11 percent of the university's student body is black, according to South Carolina's largest newspaper, The (Columbia) State, as opposed to about 28.5 percent of the state's population at large. Locally, the battle over that seat has simmered for months, but as a Southern native I say with confidence: If you want to increase the awareness of citizens in any ex-Confederate state about any subject -- even race -- taking it to the gridiron will never fail. (Earning sympathy for the cause is another matter. But people will pay attention -- see comments below if you're lucky enough to get here before I have to turn them off.)

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Black-South-Carolina-pols-take-political-aim-at-?urn=ncaaf,230027

[Raineyb]

1. Pardon my ignorance but what's a gamecock? n/t

[Blue_Tires]

2. from wiki:

The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the Gamecocks. The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his physical stature or the size of his regiment. A British General commented that Sumter "fought like a gamecock." While the men have traditionally been the Fighting Gamecocks and the women were previously the Lady Gamecocks, this distinction was discontinued in part to help eliminate gender bias in their athletic department, and to discount the oft-held misconception that their mascot is meant to honor/promote animal bloodsport in any way.