New statues going up

#102
#102
I'm all for this, an opportunity to display to recruits all the firsts achieved here at the University of Tennessee. I noticed that everyone of those young men were given an opportunity at UT to accomplish something great, and through hard work they did and now will be openly recognized for it. Most of us knew of Lester and Condredge's breakthroughs, as a Fulton grad, I was aware of Jackie, and this has enlightened me to the firsts for Tee. That being said now when recruits come on campus there will be a marker for a host or coach to point to that isn't an option at UF or Bama
 
#103
#103
VFL-82-JP said:
I applaud our university recognizing the importance of fair and impartial treatment to all people, regardless of skin color or family background or ethnic group.

At the same time, I regret that we continue to emphasize the things that divide us into groups and (potentially, though without intending to) pit us against each other.

What do I mean? Simple. Don't celebrate "whiteness" or "blackness" or "brownness" or "yellowness." Instead, celebrate key individual accomplishments and proven team excellence.

One quick example: number 42. We celebrate Jackie Robinson for having the courage and tenacity to break barriers in American sport. Some mistake that as celebrating his color. But for many folks, it's not about his skin color: it's about his values and his heart and his energy in SPITE of people throwing obstacles in his path (because of his color). We celebrate his individual excellence as a trailblazer, his character and courage and commitment. Not his membership in one sub-section of society or another. The latter is identity politics, and is wholly divisive.

That's a fine distinction, maybe. Some people won't get it. That's fine.

All I know is, we gotta start following Dr. King's dream, judging each other by the quality of our character rather than the color of our skin. We gotta stop highlighting differences, stop dividing ourselves into groups. Because the latter causes those groups to start competing...and eventually fighting.

Let's look instead for the things that bring us together.

Go Vols!
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Exactly!!!

Everyone just needs to stop already with skin color. Who cares????!!!

If we really want a color blind society then skin color and identity politics have to leave peoples minds...and leave peoples minds no matter what color they are!
 
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#104
#104
VFL28 said:
Hey, I have a grand idea... instead of putting up statues... can we focus on actually rebuilding the program to a respectable state? Just a thought.
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How about realizing that it is not an either, or situation? I think it is kind of cool to recognize those guys.
 
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#105
#105
VFL-82-JP said:
I applaud our university recognizing the importance of fair and impartial treatment to all people, regardless of skin color or family background or ethnic group.

At the same time, I regret that we continue to emphasize the things that divide us into groups and (potentially, though without intending to) pit us against each other.

What do I mean? Simple. Don't celebrate "whiteness" or "blackness" or "brownness" or "yellowness." Instead, celebrate key individual accomplishments and proven team excellence.

One quick example: number 42. We celebrate Jackie Robinson for having the courage and tenacity to break barriers in American sport. Some mistake that as celebrating his color. But for many folks, it's not about his skin color: it's about his values and his heart and his energy in SPITE of people throwing obstacles in his path (because of his color). We celebrate his individual excellence as a trailblazer, his character and courage and commitment. Not his membership in one sub-section of society or another. The latter is identity politics, and is wholly divisive.

That's a fine distinction, maybe. Some people won't get it. That's fine.

All I know is, we gotta start following Dr. King's dream, judging each other by the quality of our character rather than the color of our skin. We gotta stop highlighting differences, stop dividing ourselves into groups. Because the latter causes those groups to start competing...and eventually fighting.

Let's look instead for the things that bring us together.

Go Vols!
Click to expand...
Yes and statues are all the same color. So kind of weird way to honor them because of their color
 
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#106
#106
norrislakevol said:
Exactly!!!

Everyone just needs to stop already with skin color. Who cares????!!!

If we really want a color blind society then skin color and identity politics have to leave peoples minds...and leave peoples minds no matter what color they are!
Click to expand...

So much irony.
 
#107
#107
Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't there statues of both Peyton and Tee at one of the indoor facilities on campus at one point?
Why do I remember that?
 
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#108
#108
Can we have a statue honoring this first Asian player, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Native American, Polish, German etc...(sarcasm)

I’m tired of the racial categories. People are people and should be honored based upon their accomplishments. We have gone backwards as a society in our attempts to be woke.
Just my 2¢.
 
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#109
#109
Tennessee has be very lax in celebrating the history of the program opening opportunities for minorities in the South. They have let Bear Bryant and the 1970 So Cal game in Birmingham be claimed as the person & moment the league went integrated which is far from the truth. Alabama was down even in SEC terms then and Tennessee was already playing several A-A players. Walker was captain the very next year for heavens sake.
 
#112
#112
Ten_Titans said:
I understand that lowering ourselves to racial pandering in the name of some purely theoretical goal like recruiting success does not bother you whatsoever, but you aren't exactly selling the idea that they "encompassed both objectives" when you acknowledge that no hypothetical recruit is going to know what these men did for UT football without reducing their contributions to some narrative about their race.
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THIS! The post you are responding to proves the smallmindedness of the individual because the "recruiting purposes".
 
#114
#114
Zues1 said:
Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't there statues of both Peyton and Tee at one of the indoor facilities on campus at one point?
Why do I remember that?
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Yes, wax figures or some such thing. Not enough.
 
#124
#124
This is great......the history behind those men is great and I didnt know much about them except of course Tee Martin! I will always remember 98 and be thankful we won the Championship before we entered the lost decade.
 
#125
#125
RhodesVol said:
First black player at UT and second in the SEC
First black quarterback in the SEC
First black team captain in the SEC
First black quarterback to win a national championship from the SEC

It's honestly pretty noteworthy/cool that Tennessee can be proud of these players.

Likewise, if we're putting up statutes, at least they are meaningful historically, unlike a place like A&M who just put up random statutes that relate to their "traditions" all around the stadium after joining the conference, in what I believe was the most new money display I've ever seen.
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I think that Jackie Walker was listed as the first black All-American from the SEC.
 
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