This past weekend, the Tennessee A&I men’s basketball team, an HBCU squad that won a title more than 60 years ago, got a White House visit.

Tennessee A&I made history

The living members of the Tennessee A&I Tigers basketball team were honored by Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House.

“This is the greatest day of my life,” said George Finley, a player on the Tigers team, said to CBS News.

Credit : Tennessee State University

The Tennessee A&I Tigers men’s basketball team was the first HBCU team to win a national championship in 1957, and made history again by becoming the first college team to win three back-to-back national titles from 1957-1959.

“I thought this would never take place,” said Finley, who was part of the 1959 championship team, told the network. “[Winning] the championship was big, but it wasn’t as big as being here with [Vice President] Harris today.”

The challenges

In a time of segregation and the Jim Crow era, Black teams were often not recognized for their achievements but the team finally got their just due.

Harris hosted six members of the team in a meeting along with their family, friends, and those close to the group of former athletes. Henry Carlton, Robert Clark, Ron Hamilton, Ernie Jones, George Finley, and Dick Barnett joined Finley in the Roosevelt Room at the White House.

Tennessee A&I is now known as Tennessee State University.

Dawn Staley and South Carolina Gamecocks completed their perfect season, defeating Iowa with an 87-75 win in the NCAA championship game Sunday.

South Carolina Gamecocks beats Iowa in national championship

This victory not only ended Caitlin Clark’s remarkable collegiate career but also earned South Carolina’s status as one of the ten Division I teams to ever finish a season undefeated. Remarkably, they accomplished this feat with a completely new lineup, as none of last year’s starters, who experienced a defeat against Iowa in the 2023 national semifinals, were present.

Iowa standout

Caitlin Clark, the standout senior from Iowa, put up a noble fight in her final college appearance, aiming to secure the Hawkeyes’ first championship title but ultimately came up short.

In her usual fashion, Clark scored 30 points in the game, breaking the championship record by scoring 18 of those in the first quarter alone. Her talent is unmatched and like Staley said, her legacy is forever cemented as one of the NCAA’S all-time greatest players.

Staley and South Carolina Gamecocks make history

The Gamecocks are now a three time national champion within just eight years, with the last two coming in the past three seasons.

Coach Staley’s impressive coaching prowess has rightfully earned her a spot with legendary coaches like Geno Auriemma, Pat Summitt, Kim Mulkey, and Tara VanDerveer, who have all secured at least three national championships.

Congratulations!

Mike Carey, the first Black Super Bowl referee, made history in 2008 during Super Bowl XLII.

He officiated the iconic game where the New York Giants upset the New England Patriots, preventing their historic 19-0 season.

Mike Carey on DEI

In the game, Carey did not call a sack on Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Despite facing criticism, Carey has always stood by his decision.

He also took a stand by refusing to officiate games involving the Washington “Redskins” due to their offensive name, emphasizing the importance of treating everyone with respect.

NFL referee Mike CareyDecember 16, 2006
Jdpaschal • CC BY-SA 3.0

Carey candidly spoke with CNN and reflected on the progress in diversity within the NFL officiating community and expressed continued passion for the sport.

While there has been headway on diversity within the league, Carey said there is still much work to be done.

“The diversity in officiating when I was there, was not there. And it wasn’t malicious,” Carey told CNN.

“[Now], you have way more Black officials. You’re now having not only women, but women of color, and whatever your sexual orientation is, it’s less and less of an issue.”

After football officiating

After his retirement in 2014, Carey became a CBS Sports analyst and co-founded Seirus Innovation, a company manufacturing snow sports products.

While he is enjoying the success of his newfound career, Carey says he is grateful for his experiences, stating, “Everything that I’ve done, I’ve just loved immensely.” said he continues to look back over his football career with pride.