hate it or love it
thoughts on coach prime + reads & vibes for your weekend.
After 9 months of being wrongfully detained in Russia, Brittney Griner is back on US soil. More on this next week, but right now I’m grateful for that alone.
thoughts at large.
Nothing gets the people going on Twitter like a good old HBCU vs PWI debate.
The most recent catalyst was the news that Deion Sanders, affectionately known as Coach Prime, would leave Jackson State University (HBCU) to take the head coaching job at Colorado (PWI.) Prime spent 3 years at JSU and turned the program around… completing his 3-year stint with a 26-5 record and two sweeps of the Southwest Athletic Conference. This was all while working through well-documented challenges to provide his coaching staff and team with the basic necessities - food, shelter, and sometimes -water. Allegedly, all of this is without a great deal of support from boosters or the cash-strapped university.
In a vacuum, it would make sense why he would leave to take his talents to a school with pro-level facilities and a plethora of underutilized resources. This doesn’t, however, take into account the deep feelings tied to HBCUs and the “mission” to support the Black community.
I would argue, that it’s both short-sighted, and unfair to place the weight of legitimizing HBCUs, or the Black community, on one Black person’s shoulders. (In this instance, Coach Prime probably put most of that pressure on himself, but that doesn’t invalidate the argument.) This type of tokenism actually does us a disservice - instead of uniting HBCU alumni, supporters, and allies to raise the standards and help meet the needs of our beloved institutions, we instead wait for one person to take us to the promised land. That is very dumb, for real.
The Prime Effect has already hit Colorado:
It’s going to continue to grow. From a communications perspective - this is a gold mine. The level of attention that they are getting now is going to do wonders for their football program, in the same way that The Prime Effect did wonders for Jackson State.
The energy that Coach Prime brought to JSU, the SWAC, and HBCU athletic culture, in general, does not have to die with his exit. In fact, it should be proof of what can be done when legends invest in the talent that’s often overlooked. So what’s next?
Are we going to stay mad, or are we going to do the work it takes to pick up where Coach Prime left off?
How do you feel about Coach Prime leaving Jackson State for Colorado? Wrong or right? Share your opinion with me via comment, or just reply to this email. Can’t wait to hear from you!
reads & vibes.
reads.
After a Peach State runoff - Raphael Warnock will retain his seat in the US Senate, solidifying the democratic majority. His opponent was a joke - and The Atlantic explains the tragedy of Herschel Walker in depth.
The Tory Lanez trial is underway - and he just got hit with another felony charge in relation to the July 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion. Personally, I can not wait for this trial to be over. TMZ has all the details.
Ken Griffey Junior is hosting the HBCU Swingman Classic during MLB All-Star Weekend 2023. Read about how it all came together via Andscape.
HBO has canceled both Sweet Life: Los Angeles (the Issa Rae-developed unscripted 20-something docuseries) and Legendary (the ballroom culture competition show.) They are the latest casualties of the impending HBO/Discovery+ merger. Issa says she’s looking for a new home for Sweet Life. Read more about it at Essence.
vibes.
SZA fans have been waiting for this day for 6 years. Her sophomore album “SOS” is available now. For whatever reason, I’m obsessed with the album cover, which she said was inspired by Princess Diana. Listen to the album here: apple | spotify
Something new for your holiday playlist: Xavier Omar & Alex Isley teamed up for a new song called Peppermint Tea. Listen here: apple | spotify
Spotify released its Best R&B Songs of the year playlist and it’s definitely worth a listen. Grab it here.
That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, please consider sharing it with those you think would also enjoy it.
Not the Sweet Life!!! I hope it’s picked up elsewhere. Listening to Sza’s album now. Love what you’re doing. I look forward to reading