Fisk allegations of bullying/hazing

[Doug1233]

Where is the Twitter outrage and calls to cancel the head coach of this HBCU?

Why isn’t Twitter rushing to believe the victim?

 

[KathySantoni]

In the case of Fisk, the story needs to be kept quiet because Fisk and HBCU do not want it to get out into mainstream news because it would tarnish and ruin the whole initiative of Brown Girls Do Gymnastics and Black Excellence. The publicity that was generated for Fisk is huge and within a week of the team debut, another HBCU has announced the creation of a gymnastics team.

I know you are describing the situation and these are not your views but I think what you are noting is a huge problem, you kind of just described the situation at UCLA, didn’t they have a BLM initiative going on at the time the allegations surfaced? What’s good for the Goose should be good for the Gander.

I’m hoping that time will rectify this situation but if Tarver gets to go unnoticed having been an accessory to a crime and then simply shrugging it off as “girls will be girls” the program creates an unfortunate precedent that puts women of color in legitimate danger.

 

[irichluck21]

I know you are describing the situation and these are not your views but I think what you are noting is a huge problem, you kind of just described the situation at UCLA, didn’t they have a BLM initiative going on at the time the allegations surfaced? What’s good for the Goose should be good for the Gander.

BLM initiative is not the same as Black Excellence/Brown Girls Do Gymnastics/HBCU.
Multiple teams expressed support for BLM not just UCLA. Additionally BLM is geared toward police brutality toward POC, not singing lyrics in songs and participating in other passive/active racist actions.

Also, the UCLA situation was bad but didn’t involve assault, which is what your post stated occurred between teammates at Fisk.

I am also hearing rumors that Tarver has her favorites on the team and would have dinner and outings with just them.
She only brought a small group with her to the Jennifer Hudson show, Jennifer Hudson didn’t know there were other team members and remarked that she would have had the entire team attend the show taping, had she known.

The Fisk situation is something that is far more damaging to the Brown Girls Do Gymnastics/HBCU/Black Excellence than what happened between Alexis Jeffrey and UCLA teammates.

 

[irichluck21]

Where is the Twitter outrage and calls to cancel the head coach of this HBCU?

Why isn’t Twitter rushing to believe the victim?

Especially considering the immediate reaction was to fire Waller and his assistants when this story broke, including coming from gymnasts on the UCLA team.

 

[YurchenkoLoop]

This conversation is getting confusing.

The Fisk situation is something that is far more damaging to the Brown Girls Do Gymnastics/HBCU/Black Excellence than what happened between Alexis Jeffrey and UCLA teammates.

The Fisk situation is damaging to Fisk AD, administration, and everyone in power who did nothing to remedy the situation, resulting in Davis’ departure. Why are you focused on Black Excellence?

Why isn’t Twitter rushing to believe the victim?

…who doesn’t believe her?

 

[Doug1233]

…who doesn’t believe her?

Where is the social media outrage? And calls to fire the Head Coach?

 

[makam]

I mean, i think it sounds like she should be fired unless the favoritism was actually something like a “if you get x gpa, this is the reward.” If it was actual, grade school bs “i like these girls better”, fire her ass. That kind of shit has no place in a professional position.

I don’t twitter so you won’t find my opinion there.

 

[irichluck21]

The Fisk situation is damaging to Fisk AD, administration, and everyone in power who did nothing to remedy the situation, resulting in Davis’ departure. Why are you focused on Black Excellence?

Of course it is damaging to all involved.

It is also damaging to HBCU, Brown Girls Do Gymnastics, and Black excellence.
The purpose behind this whole endeavor was to bring gymnastics and a safe space to traditionally marginalized gymnasts of color. Several gymnasts of color have brought up their past with other gymnastics programs in the NCAA, whether it be blatant racism, encouraging the gymnast to tone down their “blackness”, or various microaggressions. Article here:https://bleacherreport.com/articles...-dealing-with-racism-isolation-in-espn-report

The definition for Black excellence that I understand is from this website: https://blackexcellencenetwork.net/2021/04/21/understanding-black-excellence/

Black Excellence is the term used to praise Black individuals for their accomplishments. Many do it in passing, on social media or even weekly on podcasts to constantly praise different individuals in the community. Black people striving to be and do better daily alone is excellent. We at B.E.N want to help the next generation of Black individuals reach their own definitions of excellence.

“The definition of Black Excellence by B.E.N is ‘the prosperity and positive accomplishments of people in the Black community.’ Others have used words such as ‘progress’, ‘representation’, ‘empowerment’, ‘inspiration’ ‘success’ and ‘unity’ to describe what Black Excellence is. “

The unfortunate situation described by Leeiah Davis is complete opposite of Black excellence, certainly not on unity, inspiration, and empowerment. If Corrinne Tarver, as coach and athletic director ignored the behavior and didn’t acknowledge Davis’ complaints that is opposite of Black excellence and what HBCUs stand for. If Davis’ allegations that she was hazed, bullied, and assaulted by a team mate(s) that is opposite of unity.

Additionally, I can’t count the number of times I have heard/seen social media describing Fisk gymnastics as “Black excellence”…I don’t think they are aware of the Leeiah Davis situation.

I mentioned Brown Girls Do Gymnastics, because the organization was an active participant and supporter in getting a gymnastics program at Fisk.
The BGDG Mission is: > As the world evolves, so then does our understanding of identity categories. The sports world must evolve along with the real world.

Thus, BGDG’s mission is to increase access and expand outreach in the sport of gymnastics. We hope our efforts will help align gymnastics and other acrobatic sports with the growing diversity in society.

The BGDG vision is:

BGDG envisions a world where persons from all identity groups have the support, freedom, and access they need to participate and compete in the sport of their choice.

So again, the incident at Fisk goes against both the mission and vision of Brown Girls Do Gymnastics.

Therefore I mentioned both BGDG and Black excellence.
Both messages/missions/visions are damaged by what happened at Fisk.

If what Kathy posted ends up being true, that Leeiah Davis was bullied and harrassed for “not being black enough”…does that not have a negative impact on what BGDG is trying to accomplish? Does that not go against what HBCUs stand for? Does the situation not contradict Black excellence?

 

[Doug1233]

I mean, i think it sounds like she should be fired unless the favoritism was actually something like a “if you get x gpa, this is the reward.” If it was actual, grade school bs “i like these girls better”, fire her ass. That kind of shit has no place in a professional position.

Quite right.

But why isn’t this the major Twitter narrative - is my question.

There’s a reason Twitter is dealing with this case differently than the case of the girl singing along to the lyrics of the rap song.

 

[irichluck21]

There’s a reason Twitter is dealing with this case differently than the case of the girl singing along to the lyrics of the rap song.

Several reasons.

1. Fisk, BGDG, and HBCUs do not want this to be made public.
2. The victim is not remaining at the university, unlike UCLA where the victims stayed and the alleged perpetrator left. At Fisk, the victim was essentially forced to leave.
3. Tarver is both coach and athletic director.
4. The gymnasts on the Fisk team are silent about the situation on social media whereas UCLA gymnasts were vocal about it on their social media.
5. Someone outside of the team did not leak the information to social media, as opposed to UCLA situation with Derrian Gobourne’s leaking it on Facebook before anything made it out in the news.

The Fisk incident is being kept extremely silent.

 

[JDB]

It’s because no one cares about Fisk. I don’t say that to denigrate the school. It’s a very small school and public HBCUs educate far more people. UCLA not only has a high public profile but it has a large alumni pool who would care about what happens on the gymnastics team.

 

[Doug1233]

The victim is not remaining at the university, unlike UCLA where the victims stayed and the alleged perpetrator left. At Fisk, the victim was essentially forced to leave.

Shouldn’t that mean there should be more outrage, not less?

 

[irichluck21]

Shouldn’t that mean there should be more outrage, not less?

There should be…should more people be made aware of the situation.

 

[JaJa]

Shouldn’t that mean there should be more outrage, not less?

I agree. It makes the thing more abusive and more egregious

 

[Doug1233]

The Fisk incident is being kept extremely silent.

Where is the Twitter outrage? Why aren’t the predominantly Gen Z ultra-liberally minded Twitter warriors chanting to “burn it all down”?

There is a clear and obvious incongruence in reaction.

 

[KathySantoni]

• The victim is not remaining at the university, unlike UCLA where the victims stayed and the alleged perpetrator left. At Fisk, the victim was essentially forced to leave.

I know this was the resulting and widely accepted narrative however when you consider the situation as a whole Alexis Jeffries was both a perpetrator and a victim. She had bleach sprayed onto her clothing and someone dumped an open can of sardines that was an import from the Philippines into her bag.

 

[YurchenkoLoop]

If what Kathy posted ends up being true, that Leeiah Davis was bullied and harrassed for “not being black enough”…does that not have a negative impact on what BGDG is trying to accomplish? Does that not go against what HBCUs stand for? Does the situation not contradict Black excellence?

Bullying unfortunately happens everywhere. Black people are excellent despite bullying.

Where is the social media outrage? And calls to fire the Head Coach?

Are you not outraged? I am. Sounds like another failure on the part of leadership. This story hasn’t had as big a platform because people have not come forward to share globally what happened, and that is their prerogative. Many UCLA gymnasts united in their discontent with Waller, and he ended up resigning, so positive change can happen within these bureaucratic institutions but it’s not easy.

 

[Doug1233]

This story hasn’t had as big a platform because people have not come forward to share globally what happened

I feel that this can’t be the only thing at play here.

 

[irichluck21]

Bullying unfortunately happens everywhere. Black people are excellent despite bullying.

I didn’t say otherwise for either of these sentences. You are twisting my words completely.

If you fail to see the significance of this incident with the historical component, that is on you.

 

[irichluck21]

I feel that this can’t be the only thing at play here.

It is not without a doubt.