On Dec. 7, Coaches vs. Racism (CVR), a national nonprofit launched in 2020 that is dedicated to ending systemic racism through sports, will host its fourth annual Roundball Classic — the first one to feature only women’s teams. The triple-header will take place in Washington, DC., and two of the six teams will be from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): Norfolk State University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
“This is the first of its kind; we’ve been trying to do this for several years,” said Donnis Henry, CVR co-founder and director of women’s basketball. When CVR reached out to women’s teams as the nation was coming out of the pandemic, they already had commitments for the date and were trying to require minimal travel. While previous Roundball Classics have only featured men’s teams, there has been an HBCU presence.
CVR’s mission involves mobilizing coaches in the college, professional, and amateur ranks to create an action-filled, educational, and grassroots approach to inspire positive change through sports. Henry noted the importance of spotlighting HBCU programs, which are often overlooked. In fact, Norfolk State has competed in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament for the past two years.
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“HBCUs don’t get the notoriety, publicity, or overall exposure,” said Henry. “Sports brings everything together … With CVR, we are here to help with that and push that needle and push this movement forward as the women’s game continues to evolve.”
The other participating teams are Saint Louis University, Arizona State University, Georgetown University, and Colgate University. Henry said this triple-header provides an opportunity for frank discussion about racism. “We can’t go around it,” he said. “We talk about it … Those [who] are influential within locker rooms have to be willing to step out of that comfort zone and hit it head on.”
CVR also recently launched Good Start, a scholarship program aimed at addressing the financial barriers that prevent students from completing higher education. By providing scholarships and supporting diversity, the program aims to create more equitable and inclusive higher education.
“We can’t let the message fall off,” Henry said. “We have to keep the message going — it’s so imperative, especially with the women. What CVR is going to continue to do with women’s basketball is to push the messaging of how we can unite through sports and keep it so the messaging is on the tips of people’s tongues and the forefront of their minds.”
Where will the event take place? Thank you.