In wake of pro sports boycotts, Greg Sankey discusses SEC’s response: ‘This is not a short-term conversation’
By Keith Farner
Published:
Moments after the NBA postponed its games on Wednesday night, and similar news followed in Major League Baseball, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey made a visit to The Paul Finebaum Show.
Sankey was asked about the SEC’s response to racial inequality and social justice in the wake of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and around the country, following the shooting of Jacob Blake.
Speaking with Peter Burns and Roman Harper, Sankey said they SEC began conversations in June, but has had similar talks in the last year as the conference celebrated the 150th year anniversary of college football. There were difficult conversations last year about how the SEC handled these topics during the civil rights movement, and into the 1970s.
Sankey said league officials began conversations to bring “our conference together about having modern discussions about racial equity and social justice issues.”
The conference has had a series of discussions with administrators, coaches and players, and last week announced the creation of a new group that will assist efforts to implement and promote racial and social justice issues: The Council on Racial Equity and Social Justice. It will identify resources, outline strategies and assist with implementation of efforts that, when taken together, will promote racial equity and social justice, while also fostering diversity, helping overcome racism and pursuing non-discrimination in intercollegiate athletics.
“It’s not a short-term conversation,” Sankey said, who admitted his original idea was to create a task force, but didn’t want to just “check a box.” “… The reality right now, we’re not going to escape this. We’re not going to walk away from these conversations. We have to use these as learning moments. They have to be moments of change for all of us.”
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A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
