Congressional Black Caucus Urges the NCAA to Consider Reforming its Operating Model

On April 30, 2018 the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), led by CBC Chairman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02), sent a letter to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, urging the organization to consider reforming its operating model since its current “state of play…may fail to properly serve a large component of the NCAA’s student-athletes.” 

The letter follows Chairman Richmond’s launch last month of the CBC NCAA Task Force and a staff-level meeting during the same month between the CBC and the NCAA. In the coming weeks, the CBC will bring experts to Capitol Hill to further explore a number of issues addressed in the letter, including whether student-athletes are truly given an opportunity to get an education, whether the NCAA is a monopoly, and whether student-athletes should benefit from a portion of the revenue they help generate. 

In the letter, Chairman Richmond wrote, “The NCAA’s operating model has become a liability for the organization, its student-athletes, coaches, member institutions, alumni, and other important stakeholders. The model has invited serious litigation, under-the-table payments, questionable recruiting practices, and now a criminal probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Our initial research has uncovered a number of items that we want to discuss with you. There are numerous issues that need further exploration by policymakers and by the public at large.” 

Secretary Condoleezza Rice, the Chair of the Commission on College Basketball, and Bill Hancock, the Executive Director of the College Football Playoff, were copied on the letter.

Full text of the letter is attached, online, and below. 

April 30, 2018

Mark Emmert
President

The National Collegiate Athletic Association
700 W. Washington Street
P.O. Box 6222
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-6222

Dear Mr. Emmert:

On behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and its NCAA Task Force, I write you today to urge you and the member institutions that you represent to seriously consider whether reforms to the operating model of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are needed. We are fans of college athletics and appreciate the competitive spirit and accomplishments of America’s student-athletes. That being said, the current state of play in the NCAA may fail to properly serve a large component of the NCAA’s student-athletes. We are encouraged that the Rice Commission has issued a series of important recommendations that, if adopted, could positively alter the current state of play. Given that the NCAA and its member institutions are now reviewing the report and its ideas for reform, the CBC views this as an opportune time to reflect on the fairness of the current approach. 

Now that you have crowned new national champions in college basketball, it is imperative that you and your members consider the talents and labors that made these occasions possible. College basketball players and their achievements provide significant revenues for the NCAA and its members. If you add the revenues driven by the efforts of NCAA college football players, these two cohorts of student-athletes produce the overwhelming majority of college athletics-related revenue. Under this arrangement, these athletes also drive the revenues that pay for massive coaching salaries and for high-value investments in athletic facilities and playing fields. It is not an embellishment to say that these athletes drive the economics of the NCAA itself. 

The NCAA’s operating model has become a liability for the organization, its student-athletes, coaches, member institutions, alumni, and other important stakeholders. The model has invited serious litigation, under-the-table payments, questionable recruiting practices, and now a criminal probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Our initial research has uncovered a number of items that we want to discuss with you. There are numerous issues that need further exploration by policymakers and by the public at large. 

Last month, the CBC formed an NCAA Task Force to study the NCAA’s operating model in order to determine whether policies are needed to ensure fairness in the relationship between student-athletes and the NCAA’s member institutions, including the economic well-being of the student-athletes. We will be performing extensive research, engaging in conversations, and bringing experts to Capitol Hill to explore these topics in further detail. We welcome your participation in a dialogue about the NCAA’s operating model, including your views on its benefits and shortcomings. We invite you and other important stakeholders to engage us in frank conversation in furtherance of our ultimate goal: thoughtful conclusions that we hope can bring about meaningful reforms if significant shortcomings are discovered.

We encourage you to engage us in a transparent exploration as we ask pertinent questions, including, but not limited to, the following: 

1. Does the NCAA’s emphasis on “amateurism” promote student-athletes’ best economic, mental, physical and educational well-being?

2. Is the NCAA’s current operating model promoting economic and racial inequality in the United States of America?

3. Does the NCAA apply similar penalties for similar infractions across all members, including incidents at Historically Black Colleges and Universities?

4. Does the NCAA’s current operating model promote anticompetitive effects in the college athletics marketplace?

5. Does the current length of scholarships for student-athletes maximize learning opportunities for student-athletes?

6. Is the NCAA exercising monopolistic market power or creating a monopsony effect in the market for college football and basketball players?

7. Should the NCAA allow its student-athletes to benefit from a portion of the significant revenue that they help generate?

8. Does the NCAA offer sufficient opportunities for its student-athletes to support themselves economically outside of their role as student-athletes?

9. Does the NCAA’s current distribution of revenue add value to the delivery of educational services for a high percentage of member institutions?

10. Does the NCAA audit or monitor revenue distributions to member institutions to ensure that they are being utilized for their intended purposes?

11. Do university athletic departments operate with sufficient oversight and accountability?

12. Does the NCAA have a responsibility to its student-athletes after their time as an athlete concludes?

13. How might changes to the NCAA’s operating model affect the ability of member institutions to finance NCAA sports programs that fail to generate sufficient revenue?

These are several of the many questions we will be asking relevant stakeholders in the weeks and months to come. We look forward to a dialogue with the NCAA and its leadership and invite you to come and meet with the CBC’s NCAA Task Force for an introductory conversation. We look forward to working with you to ensure that America’s student-athletes are well protected and provided for. 

Sincerely,

Cedric L. Richmond

CC: Secretary Condoleezza Rice, Chair, Commission on College Basketball Bill Hancock, Executive Director, College Football Playoff

St. Jude Receives $1Million Sickle Cell Grant

Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris, national president of The Links Foundation Inc. and The Links Inc. tours St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Thursday, May 3. The Links awarded a $1 million grant to St. Jude for sickle cell disease initiatives.

The Links Foundation, one of the nation’s oldest and largest African-American women’s volunteer service organizations, awarded a $1 million Legacy Grant to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Thursday with a goal of jumpstarting three critical sickle cell disease initiatives.

St. Jude has researched and treated children with sickle cell disease since opening in 1962, and today touts one of the largest programs taking care of sickle cell patients, with more than 900 children from across the region. The disease is the most commonly inherited blood disorder in the United States, affecting about 100,000 Americans. It more commonly manifests in people of African descent; Hispanics; and people of Middle Eastern, Asian, Indian and Mediterranean descent.

“We have made great progress,” said St. Jude president and CEO Dr. James R. Downing. “These children now are making it through childhood and into adulthood. Back when I was in medical school, most of them died before the age of 5. Their pain crises are less, and we’re able to prevent many of the major complications – much fewer strokes, much fewer renal failures, much fewer problems with their vision.”

The average life span today for children diagnosed with sickle cell disease is 45 years old.
In addition to eventually finding a cure, Downing hopes to see a future health care system that is more receptive to taking care of sickle cell patients once they leave St. Jude.

The executive board of The Links Foundation Inc., the philanthropic arm for The Links Inc., visited St. Jude ’s campus Thursday for the grant award.

“It’s wonderful to hear Dr. Downing say that he wants to be able to do more so that the average life expectancy can be just like everyone else,” said Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris, national president of The Links Foundation and The Links. “And it’s wonderful to be a part of an organization that wants to be a part of that revolutionary work that’s going to need to get done.”

The grant will support expansion of three St. Jude clinical efforts – studies designed to increase knowledge of cognitive deficits in children with sickle cell disease; development of a community health worker education program to counsel parents of infants with sickle cell disease in Nigeria; and an age-appropriate mobile app to help patients develop adequate self-care and disease literacy.

Read more: St. Jude Receives $1M Sickle Cell Grant.

Auntie Maxine on Kanye: 'Perhaps sometimes he needs some assistance'

Outspoken Trump critic Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) weighed in on Kanye West's latest string of hot takes this week at a meeting of the Congressional Black Caucus. Waters praised the rapper for his contributions to the African-American community while also saying he sometimes "talks out of turn."

"Kanye West is a very creative young man who has presented some of the most revolutionary material in the African-American community," said Waters, who is among Trump's most vocal critics in Congress and has repeatedly called for the president to be impeached.

"But we also think that sometimes Kanye West talks out of turn and perhaps sometimes he needs some assistance in helping him to formulate some of his thoughts," she continued.

"We don’t think that he actually means to do harm, but we’re not sure he really understands the impact of what he’s saying, at the time that he’s saying it and how that weighs on, particularly the African-American community — and for young people in general," she added. "And I think maybe he should think twice about politics, and maybe not have so much to say."

[SOURCE: SFGATE]

Oregon Supreme Court gets first African-American justice

Adrienne Nelson made history this year, becoming the first African-American to be appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court in its 158-year history.

Nelson relocated to Oregon after graduating from the University of Texas School of Law in 1993 to be closer to family. She practiced law in Portland for several years before becoming a Multnomah County circuit judge in 2006. Nelson was appointed to Oregon’s highest court by Gov. Kate Brown on Jan. 2.

As she transitions to her new role, Justice Nelson wants to continue to address issues that are important to all Oregonians. She says she believes the most important ones are those that people don’t feel entirely comfortable talking about.

“There are so many issues that are going on in our society right now, and I would say that the biggest issue isn’t a legal issue,” Nelson says. “Rather, I believe civility and the ability to have conversations around hard topics is most critical for our country.”

The access-to-justice gap is another critical issue for Justice Nelson. She has held “listening sessions” at various community locations, allowing residents to share their experiences and concerns about the justice system.

“The goal was twofold,” Nelson explains. “It was to acknowledge that there was a gap between the perception of justice for people who came before us and my colleagues, as well as to figure out—once we identify that—where do we go from there to educate each other.”

Nelson believes she owes her success in the legal field to the inspiration she finds in people from all walks of life. And she says she hopes to continue to uphold the law as an equalizer that gives voice to people and issues that otherwise may not have support.

“People won’t always remember what you said or what you did, but they’ll remember how you made them feel, and I think that’s very important and something I try to live by,” Nelson says.

[SOURCE: ABA JOURNAL]

Congressional Black Caucus pushes for diversity during Silicon Valley Trip

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are visiting Silicon Valley to push the tech industry to improve diversity.

The visit is part of the group's Tech 2020 initiative, which calls on companies to boost the numbers of African-Americans they employ.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), whose Oakland district borders the country's tech hub, expressed frustration with the industry's efforts.

“Silicon Valley's economy is booming but we still don’t have the parity and equity in terms of racial inclusion,” Lee told The Hill on Monday. “The lack of understanding of why racial equity is important is mind-boggling to me.”

Lee declined to identify the companies she was referring to.

She has been joined by other Black Caucus members, including Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), G.K Butterfield (D-N.C.) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), on the trip.

The lawmakers have met with Apple and PayPal and on Tuesday will meet with representatives from other companies including Facebook, Twitter and Airbnb.

Lee said that lack of diversity is hurting companies.

“I think from a company perspective, it helps with their growth, it’s economically beneficial to have a diversity of perspectives,” she said.

“We have also moral obligation to make sure there is an equality of opportunity for everyone.”

Read more: Black lawmakers press companies on diversity during Silicon Valley trip