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Will HBCUs recruit more five-star athletes?

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mj0007/iStockBy: ERIC MOLLO, ABC News

(NEW YORK) – Last summer, five-star high school basketball recruit Makur Maker was weighing offers from top college programs like Kentucky and UCLA. He turned down all of those offers, instead choosing to attend Howard University in Washington D.C.

Maker felt he could be successful at Howard even though the Bison won just four games the year prior and had not appeared in the NCAA Tournament since the early nineties. He said he wanted to attend a historically black college and encourage more top recruits to follow his lead and “make the HBCU movement real.”

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have a deep, rich sports legacy, producing some of the America’s greatest athletes. Earl Monroe, Wilma Rudolph, Willie Lanier, and Michael Strahan are a handful of dozens of high-profile athletes to have attended historically black colleges.  

Strahan, a graduate of Texas Southern, and Lanier, of Morgan State University, talked about their experiences playing for historically black colleges on ABC’s “Perspective” podcast. Strahan said of his alma mater:

“To go to Texas Southern… it was perfect for me, the coaching was perfect for me, the teammates were perfect. The campus felt right. Knowing the history when you really looked into not just NFL players, but Hall of Fame NFL players, definitely made me realize that if I really wanted to be an NFL player that it could happen.”

Lanier tells “Perspective” he was ignored by predominantly white schools:

“It wasn’t about talent, it was about race. It was about a decision that it was not going to integrate… The institutions that were white were not recruiting black students or athletes.”

Despite its legacy, HBCUs have struggled to attract the top athletes in America. Makur is the only ESPN five-star player to ever commit to an HBCU.

Dr. Derrick E. White, professor of African-American studies at the University of Kentucky and author of the book Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Jake Gaither, Florida A&M, and the History of Black College Football, says the recruiting gap stems from decades of institutional inequality:

“The elite colleges in New England were the dominant programs… in the late 19th and early 20th century… and black colleges, many of whom their professors had attended these institutions, came to work at HBCUs and they started or developed their own program.”

White says it became harder to recruit the best athletes to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities as the country began to integrate:

“What we see really in the late 60s and early 70s is desegregation of predominantly white institutions in the south and their athletic programs… black colleges are mostly small colleges and they just did not have the kinds of resources to compete for the very best players… After 1984, what we see is a massive explosion of new television dollars entering into college sports and those television dollars are being thrown at primarily white institutions… and that creates a huge kind of resource gap.”

Tyrone Wheatley is the head football coach at Morgan State University, an HBCU in Maryland. Once a star running back at the University of Michigan, he says kids could feel lost at big programs:

“At some of these institutions, you don’t have time to develop… My first semester at University of Michigan I didn’t like it. I hated it. You did feel like if I walked in with earrings in my ear with a high-top fade and all of the sudden, ‘Oh, look at you. You’re a hip-hop guy?’ No, I’m just me. And then you’re trying to search out the few black faces to hang out with. Now, you’re here [Morgan State] and this is the first time ever in my professional career that I’ve ever felt comfortable doing a situation like Black Lives Matter. This is the first time I don’t have to explain if I want to take a knee… or me supporting the young men who want to take a knee.”

Wheatley told “Perspective” that athletes who have ambitions of turning pro will get the necessary preparation at an HBCU:

“I have met some of the brightest and best coaches out there, from innovation to taking care of the young men that’s on their teams. At the end of the day, we have the essentials and everything you need to be successful at an HBCU.”

Dr. Billy Hawkins, University of Houston professor and author of The New Plantation: Black Athletes, College Sports, and Predominantly White Institutions, says following Maker’s decision and the racial climate over the past year, the next few years could become a time when more five-star recruits start to consider attending HBCUs:

“I think there is, unfortunately, some racial fear when you talk about the radicalization, or the weaponization, of white supremacy that we’ve seen recently. I think a lot of individuals in the black community are concerned about where we send our children and we want to make sure they’re going to safe places.”

What could make this moment a turning point? Strahan says athletes should consider the advice they receive before choosing their school:

“A lot of these athletes are told that if you don’t go to one of the larger schools, if you don’t have presence on TV every weekend, if you’re not playing for a national championship, then you’re not going to have a chance to make it to the next level in the NFL. That’s just not true. It’s just not true. It’s about the sports, but it’s also about the experience. One thing about sports is we’re not all going to make it. HBCUs provides you with what a great education, but they also provide you with a great opportunity to get to the pros if you give them a chance because when you’re talented, they’ll find you no matter where you are.”

Strahan adds that alumni giving time or money to schools can also influence an athlete’s decision. He says he has been involved with and given back to his alma mater, as has Willie Lanier. Lanier is currently working to install modern playing surfaces at several HBCU football fields through his program, The Honey Bear Project.

As for Makur Maker, Howard’s prized recruit appeared in just two games before getting injured, and the Bison had to cancel their season due to a coronavirus outbreak.

Maker could be one-and-done. He may enter the 2021 NBA draft and leave Howard University after just two games. However, his decision to go to Howard could inspire other top high school athletes to follow in his footsteps and believe that an HBCU may be the right step for them too.

Michael Strahan says:

“For him [Maker] to do that is something that is legendary in so many different ways. If he can come out of there and still be successful, and I hate saying go to the NBA because there’s more than one way to be successful, but for him to be successful, I think will add a lot of creed, a lot of firepower, to the argument that HBCUs can be great for young athletes.”

Listen to the report and the rest of “Perspective” here.Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Mauritanian, starring Golden Globe winner Jodie Foster, out on VOD today

• No Comments • Entertainment News

STX Films/Graham Bartholomew(NEW YORK) — Fresh off Jodie Foster’s Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe win for The Mauritanian on Sunday, the film hits Video On Demand today.

It follows the true story of Mohamedou Ould Salahi, played by Tahar Rahim, a man held without charges in Guantanamo Bay who fights for his freedom with the help of his dedicated lawyer, Nancy Hollander, played by Foster.

Rahim, who was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his role, tells ABC Audio he put himself through a strict diet and other grueling measures to physically and mentally prepare for some of the more challenging scenes where Mohamedou is tortured while imprisoned. 

“[Director] Kevin [Macdonald] was a bit worried and he came to me like, ’Hey, calm down. You know, it’s all good, we have it.’” Rahim recalls of his deep dive into the character. “I’m like, ‘Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing, but I need this to, you know, to bring authenticity to my part, to you, to the audience and of course, to Mohamedou.”

The whole cast was inspired by Mohamedou’s story of resilience and wanted to do his story justice.

“I think a real lesson that Mohamedou has to give to all of us is that in the face of this kind of fear and terror, the best option is to become more human, not less,” Foster says. 

So what was the real Mohamedou’s reaction to seeing the darkest times in his life play out on screen?

“He said, ‘Oh, man, thank you. What a great story and a great job. Thank you so much. People will know that Mauritania exists now!’” Rahim laughs. “That was a joke, of course.”  

The Mauritanian, also starring Shailene Woodley and Benedict Cumberbatch, previously hit theaters February 12.

By Andrea Tuccillo
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Spike Lee to produce new HBO documentary for 20th anniversary of 9/11

• No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Arturo Holmes(LOS ANGELES) — Spike Lee and HBO have teamed up to produce a new documentary chronicling the historical events of September 11, 2001 and COVID-19. 

According to Variety, the film will follow “the life, loss and survival of New York residents over the twenty years since the terrorist attacks on the original World Trade Center complex.” 

As director and producer, the Emmy-winning Lee said he’s “proud” to share another Spike Lee film about his home state. 

“As a New Yawker who bleeds orange and blue (the colors of New York City), I’m proud to have a ‘Spike Lee Joint’ about how our/my city dealt with being the epicenters of 9/11 and COVID-19. With over 200 interviews, we dig deep into what makes NYC the greatest city on this God’s earth and also the diverse citizens who make it so,” said Lee in a statement. “You will lose ya money betting against New York, New York. And dat’s da truth, Ruth. Be Safe. Peace And Love.”

The multi-part film will debut later this year on HBO and HBO Max, offering an “unprecedented, sweeping portrait of New Yorkers as they rebuild and rebound, from a devastating terrorist attack through the ongoing global pandemic.” 

By Rachel George
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Third woman comes forward with harassment allegations against Cuomo

• No Comments • National News

SETH WENIG/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesBy MATT ZARRELL and IVAN PEREIRA, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — A third woman has alleged unwanted advances by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Anna Ruch told the New York Times Monday that Cuomo placed his hands on her face during a wedding reception in New York City in September 2019 and “asked if he could kiss her.” A photo of the alleged incident was taken and shared with the paper.

The revelation came on the same day New York Attorney General Letitia James announced her investigation into previous allegations of sexual harassment.

James’ office told ABC News Monday evening it read Ruch’s account in the Times and will decide whether to incorporate it into the just-launched investigation into the governor’s conduct.

Cuomo formally referred the case into allegations against the governor to AG, the governor’s office announced Sunday night.

This decision enables an investigation with subpoena power for the attorney general’s office.

“The Governor’s office wants a thorough and independent review that is above reproach and beyond political interference. Therefore, the Governor’s office has asked Attorney General Tish James to select a qualified private lawyer to do an independent review of allegations of sexual harassment,” Beth Garvey, special counsel and senior advisor to the governor, said in a statement Sunday night. “The lawyer shall report publicly their findings. The Governor’s office will voluntarily cooperate fully.”

James earlier Sunday rejected a proposal from Cuomo to select an independent investigator to conduct a review, she said on Sunday afternoon.

After two former aides came forward last week with accusations against Cuomo, Garvey at first announced that an independent review would be launched, led by former federal Judge Barbara Jones.

But after critics argued Jones was inadequate given her business ties to Cuomo’s top aide, Steve Cohen, the governor’s office released a statement on Sunday morning that James and the chief judge of the court of appeals, Janet DiFiore, would jointly select an “independent and qualified lawyer in private practice without political affiliation to conduct a thorough review and issue a public report.”

“We had selected former Federal Judge Barbara Jones, with a stellar record for qualifications and integrity, but we want to avoid even the perception of a lack of independence or inference of politics,” the statement said. “The work product will be solely controlled by that independent lawyer personally selected by the Attorney General and Chief Judge.”

Later on Sunday, James rejected the governor’s call for the appointment of an outside lawyer and repeated her request for a formal referral from the governor’s office so she can lead an investigation with subpoena power.

“To clarify, I do not accept the governor’s proposal. The state’s Executive Law clearly gives my office the authority to investigate this matter once the governor provides a referral. While I have deep respect for Chief Judge DiFiore, I am the duly elected attorney general and it is my responsibility to carry out this task, per Executive Law,” James said in a statement. “The governor must provide this referral so an independent investigation with subpoena power can be conducted.”

“I urge the governor to make this referral immediately,” James said.

State and U.S. senators, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and others are calling for a completely independent investigation. Some, including state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, have called for Cuomo’s resignation.

Allegations made against Cuomo

Two former aides to Cuomo made allegations of sexual harassment against the governor last week.

On Wednesday, Lindsey Boylan made claims of “sexual harassment and bullying” against the governor, saying it lasted “for years.”

In a post on Medium, Boylan described one incident aboard a flight with Cuomo, aides and a New York state trooper in October 2017 where Cuomo suggested they play “strip poker.” She also complained to friends that Cuomo “would go out of his way to touch me on my lower back, arms and legs.”

Boylan, who began working in the state office in 2015 and was later promoted to deputy secretary for economic development and special adviser to the governor, accused Cuomo of creating “a culture within his administration where sexual harassment and bullying is so pervasive, that it is not only condoned but expected.”

Months before her Medium post, Boylan, saying she was compelled to go public after seeing Cuomo’s name floated as a potential U.S. attorney general candidate, began tweeting allegations against Cuomo on Dec. 13.

“Yes, @NYGovCuomo sexually harassed me for years. Many saw it, and watched. I could never anticipate what to expect: would I be grilled on my work (which was very good) or harassed about my looks. Or would it be both in the same conversation? This was the way for years,” she tweeted.

Boylan, who is currently running for Manhattan borough president, resigned from the governor’s office in September 2018.

After Boylan’s Medium post, Cuomo’s office issued a statement denying her allegations against the governor.

“As we said before, Ms. Boylan’s claims of inappropriate behavior are quite simply false,” according to a statement from press secretary Caitlin Girouard.

The statement also denied Boylan’s allegations of what happened on the October 2017 flight.

Calls for an independent investigation and for the governor to resign have increased after a second accuser came forward with allegations against Cuomo on Saturday.

Charlotte Bennett, another former aide to Cuomo, told The New York Times that the governor harassed her last spring, including one incident on June 5, 2020, where Cuomo allegedly asked her questions about her personal life, romantic interests and stated that he was “open to relationships with women in their 20s,” the Times reported.

Bennett left Cuomo’s administration in November, she told the Times.

“I understood that the governor wanted to sleep with me, and felt horribly uncomfortable and scared,” Bennett told the Times, adding that she told Cuomo’s chief of staff, Jill DesRosiers, a week after the June 5 incident and was transferred from the role of executive assistant to a health policy adviser.

Cuomo has denied the allegations but said in a statement Sunday night that some of the things he has said “have been misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation.”

“At work sometimes I think I am being playful and make jokes that I think are funny. I do, on occasion, tease people in what I think is a good natured way,” Cuomo’s statement said. “I do it in public and in private. You have seen me do it at briefings hundreds of times. I have teased people about their personal lives, their relationships, about getting married or not getting married. I mean no offense and only attempt to add some levity and banter to what is a very serious business.”

“I now understand that my interactions may have been insensitive or too personal and that some of my comments, given my position, made others feel in ways I never intended,” Cuomo’s statement said.

Cuomo released a statement after the Times story was published, calling Bennett a “hardworking and valued member of our team during COVID” but denied making any advances towards Bennett.

On Twitter, Bennett wrote “I stand with Anna Ruch. Anna — I hear you, I see you. I’m so sorry. His inappropriate and aggressive behavior cannot be justified or normalized. Thank you for your courage and strength. Here for you always.”

Cuomo said he never intended to act in any way that was inappropriate and was trying to be a supportive and helpful mentor.

“The last thing I would ever have wanted was to make her feel any of the things that are being reported,” he said.

“This situation cannot and should not be resolved in the press; I believe the best way to get to the truth is through a full and thorough outside review and I am directing all state employees to comply with that effort. I ask all New Yorkers to await the findings of the review so that they know the facts before making any judgments. I will have no further comment until the review has concluded,” he added.

Cuomo also under fire for nursing home deaths

Cuomo is also being investigated by the FBI and federal prosecutors, who are looking at the governor’s coronavirus task force, with a particular focus on his administration’s handling of nursing homes early in the coronavirus pandemic, two sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

The investigation, first reported by the Albany Times Union, is in its initial stages. Subpoenas have been issued, the sources said.

The FBI has declined to comment, as did the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

The full scope of the investigation is not immediately clear, but the sources said there was a particular interest in nursing homes, which have been a source of increasing frustration for Cuomo.

The number of New York nursing home residents who died from the virus may have been undercounted by as much as 50%, according to an investigation conducted by the New York attorney general’s office, which said that many of those patients died after being moved to the hospital and were thus not counted as nursing home deaths.

Investigators asked 62 nursing homes for information about on-site and in-hospital deaths from COVID-19 beginning the week of March 1, 2020, and found significant discrepancies between those figures and the numbers reported to the Department of Health. In one instance, according to the report, a facility reported to the DOH that on-site fatalities totaled five confirmed COVID-19 deaths and six presumed COVID-19 deaths, but told the AG’s office there were actually 27 deaths at the facility and 13 hospital deaths — a discrepancy of 29 deaths.

Earlier this month, a Cuomo aide conceded the administration withheld the nursing home death toll from state lawmakers out of fear it would be used against the state by the Trump administration.

“He starts tweeting that we killed everyone in nursing homes,” Cuomo’s top aide, Melissa DeRosa, said of Trump on the conference call recording, a transcript of which was provided by DeRosa to ABC News. “He starts going after [New Jersey Gov. Phil] Murphy, starts going after [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom, starts going after [Michigan Gov.] Gretchen Whitmer. He directs the Department of Justice to do an investigation into us.”

Cuomo conceded his handling of nursing home fatality data created a “void” that became filled by misinformation and conspiracy theories — but he declined to apologize.

“The void we created by not providing information was filled with skepticism and cynicism and conspiracy theories which fueled the confusion,” Cuomo said during a news conference Monday. “The void we created disinformation and that caused more anxiety for loved ones.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Lawyer for family of girl injured in pre-Super Bowl crash speaks out: ABC News exclusive

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The Young familyBy DOUG VOLLMAYER, NICHOLAS COULSON and ANGELINE JANE BERNABE, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — The family attorney for a 5-year-old girl involved in a devastating three-car crash last month is speaking out for the first time.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News’ Good Morning America, Tom Porto, the family attorney of the Young family — whose daughter, Ariel, was injured after former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid struck their vehicle — is describing the severity of the wreck that nearly killed the 5-year-old girl.

Ariel is still fighting for her life in a Kansas City, Missouri, hospital with a brain injury and unable to speak, according to Porto.

“This wasn’t a fender bender,” Porto told Good Morning America. “This was a serious life-altering event.”

Early last month, Reid — who is also the son of Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid — hit a car belonging to Ariel’s family. Her mom, aunt and 4-year-old cousin had pulled over to the side of a highway to help a 19-year-old family member whose car had run out of gas. According to police, Reid was driving at highway speeds when his pickup truck struck the first car.

Ariel, who was in the second car, suffered life-threatening injuries, while her 4-year-old cousin, who was also in the car, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Both were transported to the hospital. The driver of the car Reid hit first and the two adults in the second car sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

“She’s awake, which is a huge development,” Porto said of Ariel. “She likely has permanent brain damage that she will endure for the rest of her life. She’s not walking — it’s a sad, sad, sad story.”

In exclusive photos obtained by ABC News, Reid’s truck was totaled and the two cars that police say he ran into — including Ariel’s backseat, in which she was sitting in the second row of her vehicle – was flattened and unrecognizable.

“When you look at those pictures, you wonder how anybody made it out of that car alive,” Porto said.

According to a search warrant application obtained by ABC News, an officer on-scene reported smelling “a moderate odor of alcoholic beverages emanating from [Reid].” Reid told the officer he’d had “2-3 drinks” and was on the prescription drug “Adderall.”

He was injured in the wreck and taken to the hospital with undisclosed injuries and did not join the Chiefs in Tampa, Floridad for the Super Bowl.

The investigation is ongoing and no charges have yet been filed in the case.

“We’re going to be advocating for the most serious charges and the most serious sentence that Britt could ever receive,” Porto said. “We don’t have the toxicology back, I don’t know what it is going to be. What I do know are the statements that he made to police that night. If you have two or three drinks, and then you get behind the wheel of a car, you are likely over the legal limit.”

This isn’t the first time that Reid has faced prior legal trouble. In 2007, he pleaded guilty to flashing a gun at a motorist and was sentenced to eight to 23 months in prison. And in 2008, Reid pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of a controlled substance.

Following the car crash, the Kansas City Chiefs placed Reid on administrative leave. And since the crash, the Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid addressed the incident in a statement.

“My heart goes out to that young lady, I’m also a dad, so I get that. So I have concerns obviously on both sides,” said Andy Reid. “Britt did have surgery, but he’s doing better now, but that little girl, my heart goes out to her.”

The Young family said it desperately wishes that Ariel’s life can go back to normal, but Porto said they’re being led to believe that may not happen, at least not anytime soon.

*Reid’s attorney said he has had no communication with the family and has no comment at this time.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.