The five National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) Legends HBCU Scholars were announced today in Chicago awarding the winners a $10,000 academic scholarship for the upcoming 2020-2023 undergraduate year. This marks the Legends Scholars programs second highly regarded class. I blogged about the 2020/2021 HBCU Scholars winners giving me added insight into what it means for the deserved finalists, HBCUs and the NBRPA. Hundreds of inspiring online applications entered this year from February to mid-March. The five chosen Legends Scholars will also take part in the encompassing scholars program designed to assist collegiate students attending historically black colleges and universities with a robust offering of career preparation, employment development, job placement, and business mentoring by former professional basketball players from the NBA, ABA, WNBA and Harlem Globetrotters, as well as an assortment of African-American and other business leaders. The Sports Techie community blog congratulates each respective winner as well as the many applicants for being proactive regarding financial needs as inflation continues to climb across the United States and world. As a result, academic scholarships are even more prized and comparable in value to when the economy last suffered even worse inflation 39-years ago throughout both the U.S. and Canada. Are we facing another recession, something that hasn’t happen in America since December, 2007 to June 2009? Most economic signs point that way as supply chains are continuing to be stretched thin, price gauging is rampant and corporate greed non-stop, yet housing prices are finally dropping after the Feds raised interest rates and here in Georgia, gas is finally under $4 a gallon and continuing to drop. Either way, the Legends Scholars financial relief is indeed timely, well received and a hopeful story as college students grind towards a better today and future for all.
Here are the five Legends Scholars:
- Julian Bridges | Grambling State University, Class of 2025
- Marshaela Cooper | Tennessee State University, Class of 2024
- Adeja Shannon | Tennessee State University, Class of 2025
- Tyh’lana Tomlin | Howard University, Class of 2025
- Ti’Mia Wynn | Tuskegee University, Class of 2024
“These five remarkable young people were selected from hundreds of HBCU students due to their academic excellence and commitment to making a positive impact in the world,” said Scott Rochelle, NBRPA President & CEO. “We are excited to introduce the 2022-2023 Legends Scholars to last year’s inaugural class of Legends Scholars and welcome them into our Legends family – where we will support them during their collegiate career and beyond.”
Legends HBCU Scholarship and Legends Scholars
The NBRPA’s Legends Care initiative began the Legends HBCU Scholarship and Legends Scholars program in 2020 created to pay homage to the HBCUs historical significance and proud alumni as a means to support current undergraduates attending HBCU institutions of higher learning with a forward thinking action plan.
The Legends HBCU Scholarship and Legends Scholars program were created in 2020 under the NBRPA’s Legends Care initiative as a way to honor the rich history of HBCUs and their alums while moving the legacy forward by supporting current HBCU undergraduates.
To learn more about the Legends HBCU Scholarship and Legends Scholars program, visit legendsofbasketball.com/HBCU.
Sports Techie, our previous blog yesterday touched on For Soccer Ventures Black Star program benefiting black communities. It warms my heart to share these types of programs instigated for fellow minorities, women and LGBTQ+ people so they can step up to an even playing field. By doing so, it shows our country’s racial history is what it is, a constantly evolving democracy challenged by continued racism and what seems like a never ending battle to ensure equality for all.
My Mother is a first Generation American hailing from Ecuador, my Dad was in the Peace Corp and they met while he was coaching the Women’s National Basketball Team my Mom starred on. My Father also coached the Ecuadorian Men’s National Team at the same time. My Pops has Polish roots making me half-white, half-Hispanic. I love being biracial. My son has at least 7 nationalities in his genes, including being a US citizen on the autism spectrum. I share this because the fight for racial, gender and special needs equality is not just a black community issue. Whether it’s Native Americans, Latinos or Asians, or any other race around the globe including those in Ukraine fighting against autocracy, opportunity here is available for all. Boxing Promoter extraordinaire Don King, said it so well in regards to opportunities in the land of the free, “Only in America.” Amen, brother.
Under the direction of Rochelle, NBRPA has given back to many different communities including HBCU’s across most of the nation except for the West coast because there aren’t any located there. I commend him for also using sports technology as an asset for a variety of programs benefiting their members, supporters and the community at-large.
Let me also give a virtual one-handed clap to the entire NBRPA Board of Directors made up by Chairman of the Board Johnny Davis, Vice Chairman Dave Cowens, Treasurer Sam Perkins, Secretary Grant Hill, Thurl Bailey, Chucky Brown, Caron Butler, Robert Horry, Shawn Marion, Charles “Choo” Smith, Sheryl Swoopes and Jerome Williams. Well done and keep up the good work.
For the record, I was protesting with my family back in the 70’s for the farm workers. I have a Political Science BA degree from Whitter College. My words are not spoken without having experienced and witnessed some hardships through life. I had a Redmond high school friend once call me an Ecuadorian as a racial slur. It don’t me nothing, eh. I attended six different colleges and community-colleges to grind my way to earning a BA at the age of 29-years old. Without the generous financial support of a few grants, maybe one scholarship all the way and plenty of student-loans, I would never have been able to afford tuition, room and board, books and supplies, in Southern California, a story many of you can relate to, or perhaps you know folks with similar stories. To put it in perspective, EducationData.org stated earlier this year that the “outstanding federal loan balance is over $1.606 trillion and accounts for 91.2% of all student loan debt. 43.4 million borrowers have federal student loan debt. The average federal student loan debt balance is $37,014 while the total average balance (including private loan debt) may be as high as $40,904.” These facts truly hurt the bottom line. for me, you and our nation.
Dear Julian, Marshaela, Adeja, Tyh’lana, and Ti’Mia, my hope is this Legends HBCU Scholarship and Legends Scholars program allows you to afford tuition and ease some of the financial burden a majority of collegiate students go through.
Represent well and make your future what you want it to be thanks in part by the support of the NBRPA.
See you later sportstechie in Seattle, Atlanta and around the world!
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