By Hal Lamar
Mention historically black colleges and most people can probably reel off familiar names like Morehouse, Spelman, Grambling, Florida A&M, Howard or Tenneessee State.
Most of those colleges have achieved a modecum of [popularity through either their academic or athletic prowess and some boast powerful graduates like Martin Luther King Junior(Morehouse), Jesse Jackson (North Carolina A&T),. Oprah Winfrey (Tennessee State) Astronaut Guy Bluford (Florida A&M), Ron McNair ( North Carolina A&T) and Ralph Abernathy ( Alabama State).
But there is also Texas College, Concordia College, Selma University and Oakwood Colleges of Alabama, Barber Scotia College, Bennett, Benedict, Edward Waters and many other schools with small enrollments and most with smaller endowments. Nonetheless, they too have had their share of graduates.
Most were founded by black churches or former slaves. They struggle year after year but have somehow managed to keep their doors open.
Those schools are the reasons that Atlanta publisher Packey Clements created the Small Black College/University National Basketball Championship. Clements, who last year began publication of the bi-monthly Black Sports Journal, launched the idea of a post season event for smaller black schools as a promotional tool for his magazine but moreover because he saw a void.
"The purpose of the tournament is basically to market the smaller schools similar to what the Heritage and Pioneer Bowls do for their conference schools. There is no attention given to these smaller colleges many of them have been around for over 100 years. They aren't quitting. They're hanging in there. Take Selma University, for instance. They have less than 100 students but they are servicing those students."
Last year,. Knoxville College, Selma University, Concordia College, Oakwood College and Texas College participated in the tournament which was held on Selma's campus. Texas College won the tournament by defeating Oakwood College 78-57. The latter school, founded and supported by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, is best known for its most popular graduates the contemporary gospel singers Take 6.
Clements said next year's tourney, slated for the first week of March, 2000, will hopefully involve 8 teams with an additional bracket for women's teams.
For additional details on the tournament or the magazine, contact Clements at 404-534-0163.
