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 SPEECH  ON DON IMUS

By  C. Vivian Stringer

    Rutgers Women’s Basketball Head Coach

(Delivered April 10, 2007 at  the Louis Brown Athletic Center at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey)

   I see 10 young ladies who have accomplished so much that we, the coaching staff, and the State University are proud of. These young ladies who sit before you are valedictorians of their classes, doctors, musical prodigies, and yes, even girl scouts. These young ladies are the best the nation has to offer and we are so very fortunate to have them here at Rutgers. They are ladies of class and distinction; they are articulate, they are brilliant. They are God’s representatives in every sense of the word. What you have to realize is less than a year ago half of these ladies were planning to graduate from high school. There are five freshmen who, as they graduated from high school, thought about the opportunity they would have by coming to Rutgers University and by playing basketball at the highest level. Before you know it, everyone here found themselves on a national stage playing for the world to see, playing basketball at the highest level. This group of women is bright, gifted, hard-working and has persevered through so much.

You have all come to talk about this story, this Don Imus story, but we’ve lost what this is all about. At the beginning of the year we were humiliated as we lost to Duke, the number one team in the country. But through perseverance and hard work and dedication, through eight to ten hours working and going through film and studying, ultimately they alone became what they could be when no one else believed in them—that’s the greatest story. It doesn’t matter where you come from but where you’re going. It doesn’t matter where you started but how you end because that is the story. Perseverance, hard work, determination. This group of classy young women represents all of us. I have pride and respect for them. What’s amazing is less than 24 hours after they accomplished so much to have people insult us. We are all physically, emotionally and mentally spent. We are hurt by the remarks that were uttered by Mr. Imus. But these girls understand that no one can make you feel inferior unless you allow them to. My role as a coach is one to love, nurture and discipline these ladies to leadership roles in this society. In all that we do, this group of young women have been represented as nothing less than class in every aspect of all that they do. While they worked hard in the classroom and accomplished so much and used their gifts and talents, you know, to bring the smiles and the pride within this state in so many people, we had to experience racist and sexist remarks that are deplorable, despicable and abominable and unconscionable. It hurts me.

As a sixteen-year old girl, I was a victim of racism but I had a group of people that stood up for me. We (my high school) never had an African American cheerleader and so the chancellor came to my house late one night and asked if I would speak up to the board of education. I initially said no but my dad said some things to me that rang true. He said if you don’t stand up for something you’ll fall for anything. He said it might not be about you but about future generations of young women. So I went to the school board. I was placed on the cheerleading squad and I became the best I could be. I felt what Mr. Imus said; I’ve experienced it and I told the team I have experienced it. In my mind, this is a time for change because it’s not about just these young women. I ask you, no matter who you are, who could have heard these comments and not been personally offended? It’s not about the Rutgers women’s basketball team, it’s about women. Are women hos? Think about that. Would you want your daughter called a ho? It’s not about us as black people or as nappy-headed. It’s about us as people—black, white, purple or green. And as much as I speak about that, it’s not even black and white—the color is green. How could anyone not have been personally hurt when there is no equality for all or when equality is denied? These young ladies have done nothing wrong. Some of you might point to the fact that he (Don Imus) makes comments about other political figures or other professionals. But these ladies are not professionals or political figures. They are 18, 19, 20 year-old women who came here to get an education and reach their gifts for all to see. These are young women little girls look up to and we as adults, at what point do not call upon people to stop? There is a bigger issue here, more than the basketball team. It’s all women athletes, it’s all women. Have we lost a sense of our own moral fiber? Has society decayed to such a point where we forgive and forget because it was just a slip of the tongue? I’m going to suggest that people give thought before they speak.

As a coach, I love them and I cherish them and I appreciate the opportunity to prepare them for the world and prepare them for life. We are preparing them for leadership roles in society. It’s never just been a basketball game here for us at Rutgers. It’s always been about life. We were so excited, my staff and I, to talk to the recruits because what they saw was a group persevere and beat Duke on Duke’s floor. They saw a team that heard people say if you’re going to succeed you have to face Michigan in front of 15,000 people. And then they said you have to take on the mighty Duke just to get to the finals. And then face mighty LSU that beat Tennessee a week earlier. Everyone said it wasn’t possible with this group of five freshmen and five upperclassmen but this was a group that broke all kinds of NCAA records in defense. They showed the world it’s not about where you come from but where you’re going. It’s not about where you start but where you finish. They have restored my confidence and faith as a coach. I respect that their parents would entrust their daughters to me.

Are we as adults responsible enough for nurturing dreams and standing up for what is right? We have to recognize this issue speaks to a bigger issue. To utter such despicable words is not right, whether they are spoken by black, white, purple or green, male or female, tall or short, skinny or thin, it is not right. It is time for everyone to reflect on what is going on. It is time ladies and gentlemen.

I have had the privilege of taking three teams to the Final Four. The first time was with Cheney but I wasn’t able to experience it with great joy because my daughter was stricken with meningitis at 14 months and was confined to a wheelchair. With Iowa, my husband died suddenly. My heart has never been light when going to the Final Four. When I came to Rutgers we went to the Final Four in 2000 but we never got to the championship game. It took me personally 25 years to come to get to a championship game. This was a team that had so little and gave so much. This was a team that was so young. This was a team that restored all my faith and confidence in young people. They grew and they matured. They all worked together and became a powerful group.

Rutgers University has had a proud reputation for many years as being one of the highest academic institutions in the country. I say to them (the players) and their parents, I thank them for trusting me with their lives and I understand the magnitude of my responsibility and I honor them and am so proud of them. I thank them. They have no reason to drop their heads. I ask everyone who can hear my voice, please understand that we all need to make changes, all of us beyond Imus. We need to serve as examples of how to be winners on the basketball court and we also need to serve as examples of how to be winners in life. I am thankful to serve as coach and I trust that the President of Rutgers, the governor of New Jersey and our Athletic Director to continue their support, respect and honor of these young ladies. I thank you very much.”