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College coaches recommend required Black history courses

2020 NCAA tournament canceled

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 06: The NCAA logo is seen on the wall as Yeshiva players warmup prior to playing against Worcester Polytechnic Institute during the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship - First Round at Goldfarb Gymnasium on at Johns Hopkins University on March 6, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. On Thursday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced that Maryland had confirmed three cases of residents with COVID-19, otherwise known as the Coronavirus, prompting Johns Hopkins officials to host the NCAA men’s basketball tournament without spectators. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The new committee formed by the National Association of Basketball Coaches to address racism and diversity recommended Monday that high schools and colleges establish required courses on Black history for graduation.

The proposal is the first to come from the Committee on Racial Reconciliation since it was established in response to the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd and other race-related incidents in America.

“Throughout committee’s initial discussions, an immediate observation was the overall lack of awareness of the history and issues facing the African-American community,” said the committee chairmen, South Carolina coach Frank Martin and Harvard coach Tommy Amaker. “If our country is indeed going to make the necessary strides towards combating racism and injustice, the topic must become a core component of every American’s educational experience.”

Martin, whose parents fled Cuba and settled in Florida, said during a webinar that he hopes the committee is able to address issues of racial injustice not only within intercollegiate athletics but society in general.