HS Girls’ Basketball Chant: “One, Two, Three…N-Word”?

Posted by Rick Wolff on December 20, 2011 · Leave a Comment

The media reports from Buffalo, NY, were hard to believe. For the last few years, the members of the Kenmore East HS girls’ varsity basketball team would meet for a private session in the lockeroom before taking the court. There were no coaches or adults present.

And then, the girls would say a little prayer, and then chant, “One, two, three…n-word!” Except that they would actually use the n-word.

Amazingly, one of the girls on the team this year is black, and when she heard this racist mantra, she spoke right up and protested to her teammates. She was told by one of the older girls on the team that it was simply a tradition, and not to think they were racist.

Huh?

In any event, once the school superintendent got wind of all this, he immediately clamped down and drew up a laundry list of punishments, including serious suspensions, reprimands, and so on. He made it abundantly clear that such nonsense would not be allowed in any form.

Bottom line? Hard to believe – and quite frankly, very sad – that girls who are juniors and seniors in HS could somehow come away thinking this pre-game chant was harmless or no big deal. What a shame.