Watching the Only All-Black Swim Team in the US is Popular

Since taking over this once-moribund program eight years ago, head coach Nic Askew, a former Howard swimmer, has created arguably the most electric collegiate swimming environment in the U.S at Howard. 

He’s pulled recruits from across the country, from Canada and the Caribbean, and developed a team now on the cusp of winning the Northeast Conference title, which would be its first banner in more than 30 years—the nation’s only historically Black school with a swim program now showing out in this predominantly white, country club sport.

1,200 people were watching last February—most likely the most-attended dual meet anywhere in the nation last season. 

https://www.si.com/college/2023/02/01/howard-swimming-daily-cover?fbclid=IwAR0ibml7Ff7HW2IU6mnYCHn6tp1bmhOI7V82ZaYcC7TcaVF_QLSHzYkhOxo

It's Fine if Only Whites Control a Small Alabama Town, But Not Majority Blacks

Patrick Braxton become mayor in 2020 of tiny Newbern, Alabama, winning since he was the only one running. In its 166 year history, no Black man had become mayor of the town.

But the white folks eventually decided that wouldn't do, held a secret election, and locked Mr. Braxton out of the town hall, and blocked him from official town business.

Now Mr. Braxton is suing. The whites aren't talking.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/06/us/newbern-alabama-mayor-dispute/index.html

Will Trump Really Be Held Accountable?

Being on top of the hierarchy in so many ways, and garnering support because of his top actions and views, Donald Trump and his supporters expect that he will not be held accountable for trying to overthrow our democracy. In hierarchies, the top is not held accountable because the hierarchy would fall if they were. 

People of the United States are so accustomed to Trump and his Republican retinue being allowed to mostly do whatever they want, that many of us are skeptical that any accountability is a very long shot.

We have reason to believe that the indictments will not hold, that some way Trump and his co-conspirators will weasel out at the top is expected to do. Only time will tell. 

Florida Feeling Heat of Convention Cancellations

The policies of Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that have been approved by Republican-dominated legislatures has draped the Sunshine State in controversy, spurring protests, lawsuits and travel advisories warning the state is “openly hostile” toward people of color, immigrants, women and LGBTQ+ community members.

The fallout is starting to spread to a key economic artery for an income-tax-free state heavily reliant upon tourism taxes: Florida’s convention business, with dozens of organizations cancelling in recent weeks. The fallout may be seen for years to come as organizations book their conventions years ahead. 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/06/economy/florida-convention-business-cancellations/index.html

Women's World Cup - Yes It is Just as Exciting as the Men's

If you don't know much about the Women's World Cup in Soccer, here is a place to find information. 

Women deserve the same money, publicity, media coverage as the men. In our hierarchy where men are considered more valuable than women, we have a long way to go to even scratch the surface at equality in athletic opportunity in the United States.

For women there is NOTHING that compares to the fan following, media coverage, facilities, money, training opportunities, fame, etc. than Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, National Basketball Association, National Football Association, etc. etc. etc.  Just because women have achieve a slight parity in their one national soccer team, parity doesn't occur in women's professional soccer in the United States by all the standards listed above. 

https://theathletic.com/4644056/2023/07/18/womens-world-cup-2023-united-states-team-guide/?source=fbpcadsbc&ad_id=23856784577070092&fbclid=IwAR0FIzJL1_p3jYmhvyEvlh_-VqTEi1IRDvXed05pvcw-DGaCcLH5cH6pcoc

University of Oregon Appears to Ignore Title IX

In Eugene, Oregon, opposition to Title IX is alive and well at the University of Oregon.

The women's varsity beach volleyball is being treated not any better than a club sport, despite empty promises from the huge $153 million budget athletic department with some of the best sports facilities in the country that things will change.  

The team practices and plays home games in a city park. The players, who do not receive athletic scholarships, have had to use a public restroom with no doors on the stalls. At times, they have driven hundreds of miles for games and stayed three or four to a room and had to share beds.

The beach volleyball team is one of 20 varsity sports at the University of Oregon. It is the only team that receives no athletic scholarship funding. No other public university team among the nation’s largest athletic conferences, the Power Five, spends zero on athletic scholarships. UO has persistently awarded more athletic scholarships to men over women beyond the threshold permitted by Title IX, public records show.

Interviews with more than a dozen former players and coaches and analysis of financial records detail how extreme an outlier Oregon’s beach volleyball program is compared to UO’s other teams, as well as its peers in the Pac-12 Conference.

https://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2023/07/oregon-ducks-beach-volleyball-players-detail-disparate-treatment-that-experts-say-could-violate-title-ix.html

Homophobic Action at San Diego Library Met with Protest

Two homophobic San Diego residents cleared out the Pride month display at their library and said such materials shouldn’t be available to children, one of several recent clashes over L.G.B.T.Q. issues in California.

In response, Stacks of Amazon boxes containing new copies of the books the protesters checked out started to arrive at the library after The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the homophobic actions. Roughly 180 people, mostly San Diegans, gave more than $15,000 to the library system, which after a city match will provide over $30,000 toward more L.G.B.T.Q.-themed materials and programming, including an expansion of the system’s already popular drag queen story hours.

The Right Wing of this country will try to maintain and build any hierarchy they can. In this case, they have chosen sexual orientation. They will stop at nothing to make the sexual orientation they favor stay on top of our nation's hierarchies. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/22/us/pride-books-library-protest.html