Volleyball team from HBCU Talladega College withdraws from tournament after racial abuse
A Talladega College player using a feature that allows nearby cellphones to transfer data to each other received a “racially motivated picture” during the Southern States Athletic Conference’s volleyball awards banquet, held last week during the tournament in Montgomery, the conference said in a statement.
Officials didn’t release details on what the image showed, but the conference described the act as “vile and vicious.”
“It’s just a very unfortunate thing. We wish it hadn’t happened,” Commissioner Mike Hall said in an interview Wednesday.
The team left the banquet and quit the tournament, the college said in a statement issued in support of the players’ actions.
“We commend the women’s volleyball team. We celebrate them for their bravery. We honor them for their commitment to the founding principles of Talladega College as well as the tenants of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” the school said.
