A controversially topic has risen throughout Kentucky this week and it seems to be dividing this state.
Thursday afternoon, a report came out that the African-American and Africana Studies program at the University of Kentucky had contacted UK's president in June, requesting that the name be changed at Rupp Arena due to alleged accusations of Adolph Rupp being a racist.
While this is a topic that everyone deserves to have an opinion on, it always helps to go to someone whose opinion holds a lot of weight in this state- John Calipari.
Courier Journal reporter, Tim Sullivan, has released a story this evening in which Coach Cal has commented to the topic, through a UK spokesperson. “My focus is on my 12 players on campus, helping them get through this time — their physical and mental health during the pandemic — and continuing to listen and to explore ways I can use my sphere of influence to make a difference with diversity and equality, which we’re trying to do through the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative," Calipari said. "Like I have done the last couple of months, I want to continue to listen and try to understand what I may never understand, and that would be my focus for any conversation I have with anyone right now.”
It may seem like a generic response from Coach Cal, but I respect that he chose to even make a statement. He continues to reiterate that he is actively educating himself on these current events, and would like to know as much as possible before he takes a stance on either side. The 'Was Rupp a racist' topic seems to be similar to making political statements nowadays. A lot of people are on both sides, and it's a topic that a lot people are very opinionated on. Cal and many of other people would like to be confident in their beliefs on the situation, and with many of us not ever getting the chance to know Adolph personally, it's hard to make a decision without being fully educated to whom he was as an individual.