Arizona sun., 1951-12-28
ARIZONA SUN
HENDERSON'S
COMMENT
BY Edwin b. Henderson
For the NNPA News Service

letics in schools and colleges for
colored youth, it was with pride
that I observed the workings of
the recent annual meeting of the
Central Intercollegiate Athletic AS
sociation here in Washington.
The meeting also was signifient
for the complimentary notices and
attention paid to the stalwart
Charles H. Williams of Hampton
Institute.
The change of name from "Col-
ored Intercollegiate Athletic Asso-
citation" to Central Intercollegiate
Athletic Association a year or two
ago was meaningful as indication
Of changes in the social situation
| in which colored athletics have
been growing.
Probably the first conference or
association or schools for athletic
purposes was the retired ISAA (In-
ter-Scholastic Athletic Association
here in Washington. This organi-
zation was formed in 1910 and soon
thereafter the CIAA was formed,
and then the North Carolina Inter-
collegiate Athletic Association,
which later merged with the CIAA.
In those early days the only con-
tact with white Americans was
with white coaches who liked to
work with colored athletes in a
Jim Grove setting, and while Off
Gals whom colored colleges paid
top prices in order to secure re-
spect from players and spectators.
Our great fight was to eliminate
this use of white coaches and Off
Gals just as the elimination of
white teachers in purely colored
schools was accomplished.
Today there is resurgence of
desire to force our way into the
ranks of sports activities, acros col
ors barriers. Here and there white
coaches are working with our col
leges and at our coaching and Off
Gals schools.
More and more colored athletes
from Jim Grow schools are enter
| ing the lists with other schools.
More and more colored athletes
are appearing along with white
boys on the college teams across the
country and playing against them
even in the border states.
1t was heartening to note that a
committee has been formed, repre-
senting all of the leading colored
conferences, with an executive Sec
retary to make contact with and
secure membership of colored ath-
letic people on the policy-making
committees of the National Col
legiate Athletic Association and
other national organizations.
1t is quite a step forward, in my
! judgment, to attempt to play
games classics as a Start-With
some of the Catholic colleges. To
date, at least eight colored col
leges are affiliated with the NCAA.
Messrs. Abbott, Jefferson and jack
son have been nominated to be-
come members of the national rules
committees in the sports of track
and field, football and basketball,
respectively.
Let us hope that this is fore
runner of the day when church
and state schools will include just
American students just schools
for "colored."
Now, for a word about my old
friend, Charles H. Williams. Charlie
and I began work just about the
same time. We had some of the
same difficult tasks in stimulating
broad programs of physical educa-
ton and athletics.
There has never come about a
better type of coach or gentle
man teacher than Williams. All of
the ideals set forth to characterize
the best in a teacher are to be
found in this retiring mentor.