Karma comes to Grambling

Who didn’t see this coming? Grambling State University has fired the head volleyball coach who was brought in to turn a struggling program around but spent her entire tenure dealing with fallout after cutting the entire volleyball team and revoking every player’s scholarship shortly after she was hired in February.

When Chelsey Lucas cut the entire team in April, several sportscasters and sports lovers on social media lamented that the move was a bad look for HBCUs. Some, however, noted that new coaches have the authority to keep or release players as they see fit. Apparently, the same is true for university administrators. They can release head coaches at their discretion.

GSU’s discretion was said to have been moved to fire Lucas as the result of an internal investigation within the volleyball program. When this first happened, administrators had her back – despite the backlash from people upset because due to the timing of the cuts, the ousted players didn’t have time to apply for scholarships elsewhere and many had to drop out of school.

Lucas has issued a statement, blasting the move….and saying she hasn’t been allowed to give her side of the story, nor was she told specifically why she was fires. We can’t wait to hear it because, chile….from our seat, it simply looks like karma paid coach a visit.

Yall better listen to Cedric

The former director of the White House’s Office of Public Engagement and top ally of President Biden, Cedric Richmond, says Democrats who are attacking and criticizing Biden for Roe v. Wade and rising gas prices better take heed. That’s “the same foolishness” that got former President Donald Trump elected.

While no administration or elected official should be beyond critique, Richmond is vocal about Dems making sure they don’t have misplaced anger. While the Biden administration could be more forceful in calling to overturn the filibuster to codify abortion protections and various things on their agenda, there face barriers, namely Sens. Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema. For instance, the Build Back Better Act has been torn up and revised countless times because of Sen. Manchin’s “concerns.” Still, Richmond believes that the same line of anger led to former President Trump’s term in 2016.

“Hillary wasn’t good enough” and “she’s not fighting hard enough” are “what got us Donald Trump. And that got us Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. Case closed.” “He saved democracy once by beating a tyrant. He’s doing it again, but he doesn’t do it by beating his chest,” Richmond said.

I’m not knocking calling out Biden and his administration wherever necessary….but don’t let it keep you home from the polls come November, or Roe v. Wade will just be the cherry on the top of the dismantling of America.

Biden says he’s working on #FreeingBrittney

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris recently spoke with the wife of Brittney Griner to offer support as the WNBA star remains detained in Russia.

Biden spoke with Cherelle Griner two days after Brittney Griner wrote a letter to the president expressing her alarm about her ongoing detention. Biden is sending a letter to Brittney Griner in response, the White House said, and he read Cherelle a draft of the letter over the phone.

“The President offered his support to Cherelle and Brittney’s family, and he committed to ensuring they are provided with all possible assistance while his administration pursues every avenue to bring Brittney home,” the White House said in a readout of the call.

Biden has directed his national security team to remain in regular contact with Griner’s family to keep them updated on efforts to secure the release of Brittney Griner and other Americans being wrongfully detained abroad.

The Defender is committed to following this story and keeping the light shining bright on Brittney. But here’s a thought….pay the WNBA players decent wages like you pay NBA players and they won’t have to go overseas to play. But that’s an editorial for another day….I think I’ll go write it….(Visit the Blackwomen’s Channel on our website to read it)

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