ATLANTA
It started out as a friendly conversation in the late 1990s between friends and sports fanatics, filmmaker Spike Lee and late author and sportswriter Ralph Wiley.
The two HBCU graduates — Lee is from Morehouse College while Wiley went to Knoxville College — were bemoaning the fact that the number of minority sports journalists was so low, especially since the sports they cover are often dominated by non-White athletes.
The result of that conversation is the beginning of a new program at Lee’s Atlanta alma mater. Along with Morehouse officials, Lee recently announced a new journalism and sports program at the college.
“They talked about the need for more, not only Black journalists and sports writers, but also those who could ascend to leadership in the industry to become active voices in shaping the images of African-American athletes,” says Kathleen Johnson, special assistant to president Walter Massey.
Lee “is an avid sports fan,” Johnson says. “During the last 20 years, as African-American players became more prominent in sports, Spike certainly noticed how African-American athletes were presented.”
The topic is one that has been discussed widely. While Blacks have made strides in the sports journalism field, many say the number of Black sportswriters is still lacking.
