Ithink we can all agree that the brawl between Grambling State and Bethune-Cookman on Saturday should not have occurred. An otherwise great game between two SWAC contenders looking to elevate their programs was marred by a skirmish that led to the ejection of nine players and, ultimately, the suspension of 27 players by the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The swift and sweeping action taken—including a hefty fine for both institutions—was the correct deterrent.

However, the subsequent conversation around the brawl has gone too far. Too often, when negative incidents occur at HBCUs, those situations are not treated as independent occurrences; they are immediately weaponized as an indictment of HBCUs in general or the institution as a whole.

We saw this dynamic at play during the inci

See Full Page