Technology has enabled racism and ignorance to be exposed more frequently, and that’s what happened earlier in the week in Montgomery, Alabama.
While attending the Southern States Athletic Conference’s (SSAC) volleyball awards banquet, a player from HBCU institution Talladega College was airdropped a “racially motivated picture”, one that officials described as “vile and vicious.”
“During our SSAC Volleyball Awards Banquet, a member of Talladega College’s team had a racially motivated picture airdropped to her. At this time, we have not been able to determine where it originated from, but we are continuing to look into it,” said the SSAC in a statement.
“As we continue to try and investigate the source of this incident, our love and support for the women’s volleyball program at Talladega is most important and we will continue to create a safe space for all students associated with the SSAC.”
This isn’t the first racist incident to occur in the sport.
Earlier this season, a Black Duke volleyball player claimed to hear racist taunts during a match at BYU. After investigating, BYU said they found no evidence to support Blue Devils’ player Rachael Richardson’s claim, but Richardson and her supporters stood steadfast in her accusation.
The incident in Montgomery prompted Talladega to leave both the banquet and the tournament in protest.
“We commend the women’s volleyball team. We celebrate them for their bravery. We honor them for their commitment to the founding principles of Talladega College as well as the tenants of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” the school said in a statement.
“The SSAC will not condone this type of behavior. We are very supportive of all of our student-athletes, coaches and staff from our 11 institutions. We sincerely regret that this occurrence happened,” said the conference.
The SSAC is made up of small schools from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
We will continue to keep you updated on the situation.
