Throughout February, ESPN, like many other networks, commemorated Black History Month in various ways, including during Saturday’s broadcast of an ACC basketball game between the Virginia Cavaliers and North Carolina Tar Heels.
However, ESPN’s approach to celebrating Black History Month during the broadcast has sparked controversy.
During the game, ESPN displayed a graphic highlighting that nine out of the 14 ACC men’s basketball coaches are black. However, rather than simply stating this fact, the graphic inexplicably read, “ACC Head Coaches Who Happen To Be Black.”
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This wording raised eyebrows and prompted confusion, as it seemed to trivialize the significance of the coaches’ race and implied an arbitrary association. The graphic received criticism and backlash, leaving many puzzled as to why such phrasing was chosen.
While the graphic was on screen, play-by-play commentator Dave O’Brien and analyst Cory Alexander discussed various topics, including the notable fact that the ACC boasts the highest percentage of black head coaches among Power Five conferences, and that the conference has been at the forefront of diverse coaching hires.
Alexander also emphasized the importance of recognizing coaches based on their coaching abilities rather than their race, stating, “We’ll get to a point where we’re not concerned about the color of the coach’s skin and simply that these are very good basketball coaches leading great basketball programs.”
While the conversation’s point was clear and sensible, it did not address the perplexing phrasing of the graphic or who was responsible for its wording.
