Felicia Goodson Starts 'Minority Athlete Coalition'
In the wake of former Iowa football players saying on social media that there are racial issues within the program, the mother of a current player is putting together an organization to educate programs on racial sensitivity.
Felicia Goodson, the mother of Iowa sophomore running back Tyler Goodson, announced on Twitter on Saturday that she was starting "The Minority Athlete Coalition."
Goodson said:
"As the mother of two black college athletes, it has been disheartening to hear these young men come forward with their stories of inequality and mistreatment based on their skin color. The one consistent theme I have heard and read amongst their outcries was a lack of support, space to be heard, and action taken when they have voiced it. I see a lot of people saying why now, what changed, and why are just saying something? The reality is a lot of these coaches hold keys to these athletes' future, their education, and for some, the path to the next level of football.
"That's a lot of power when in the wrong hands. As a result these guys stay silent, they conform, and do what is needed to reach their goal. We see it everyday when a player voices their stance, they are told to 'Shut up and dribble', or I saw a fan tell one kid 'is a free education not enough?' The fan then proceeded to tell the kid to be grateful and Shut-up and play (Yikes). I digress. The reality is there is nothing free about the education given. Colleges and Universities make millions on backs of these athletes, and they work harder than the average student."
Numerous former Iowa football players have posted on social media in recent days about racial issues within the program. Head coach Kirk Ferentz said in a statement Friday night that he would listen to the players' concerns.
Much of the criticism was leveled at strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle. There was also criticism of Ferentz and his son Brian, who is Iowa's offensive coordinator.
"Last thing I will say is the calling for the firing of Coach KF and Coach Doyle is premature," Felicia Goodson posted on Twitter. "One thing I strongly believe is this staff will listen and are open to change. Give them a chance to fix it. I know for sure Kirk Ferentz is an amazing human being who really does care."
