(Talladega, AL) Talladega College has a history of standing up for what is right and just. Our founding is predicated on the principles of freedom, equity, and inclusion.
The Talladega College women’s volleyball team walked out of the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Banquet in protest due to what the institution believes to be a lack of action taken around racial abuse. Our student-athletes were recipients of cyber racial abuse. The volleyball team’s decision to walk out of the banquet, and ultimately walk away from participating in the remaining tournament, is an extension of the history of which they are a part.
We support our volleyball team’s decision to stand up against racial abuse. President Gregory J. Vincent spoke with the team and expressed his concerns for their mental and personal safety. “The institution is protecting our student-athletes. We educate the whole student here at Talladega College. Our student-athletes’ psychological and mental health are essential to academic development. Collegiate athletic participation is a co-curricular experience that is also important in the transformational learning experience of our students. These types of occurrences are unacceptable. We are entrusted by families, the Board of Trustees, and the State of Alabama to protect you as students of the institution.”
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.
