UAA Conversations About Race and Racism: Jule Brown
Jule Brown graduated from NYU in 2020 with a degree in social sciences (sociology) and an interest in sports marketing. Like so many others, he graduated during the global pandemic amidst hiring freezes, his story being featured in The Wall Street Journal. He played two seasons of basketball for NYU after transferring from Dickinson College, where he also played two years.
The UAA “Conversations About Race and Racism” series seeks to lift the voices of people of color and recognize the challenges faced in both athletics and academics at the collegiate level. By sharing personal stories, we hope to elevate the conversation about race to raise awareness and bring about change.
Lower Merion Setting the Stage
“We moved to Lower Merion (a Philadelphia township often recognized for being where the late Kobe Bryant went to high school) when I was in the first grade. It is predominantly white (87.5 percent in the last census) area so as a young Black kid, I was different than others. As soon as I got there, I was embraced by my classmates and their families,” Brown recalled. “A lot of my friends are white. My experience was pretty good. I didn’t have a lot of issues, but Black students who moved there or are from Lower Merion don’t always find that. It is difficult anytime you are not of the majority to develop friendships and relationships, so I have seen many Black people not have those same positive experiences that I did.”
Growing up in Lower Merion served him well when he got to Dickinson College as a freshman. “It was a similar environment to what I came from. There was not too large a Black community, but enough so that I was able to create great friendships and relationships. I was used to being in an environment with mostly white people,” he commented. “It can be difficult to relate at parties and social gatherings. Social life around sports and Greek life was dominated by white people. I was always aware that just because I was fortunate to have made those strong relationships that will last a lifetime, other Black people in the same situation did not.”
Misconceptions and Stereotypes
“Stereotypes have plagued us as a nation. Sometimes, people don’t realize the impact or the affect that it has on a Black person, even if you are not speaking directly to them. People speak about Black athletes without being able to relate what they go through. Specifically, when a Black athlete gets in trouble and the media picks it up, the immediate response is to jump on the story and judge the person. One mistake is big for Black people,” Brown noted.
Brown understands that being 6’7”, he stands out. “I am aware of who I am, but also what I look like. Being tall with glasses gives people a certain impression. Fortunately for me, the glasses seem to disarm people and make them think I am smart and nice. I do have to think how I present at my size,” he acknowledged. “Though I am rarely uncomfortable in any setting, I still have this feeling that I am of the minority, even if it is just for a second. I do feel like the odd man out sometimes.”
He admits that many people are surprised to learn he has extensive knowledge of multiple sports beyond the sport he played, basketball. “I follow a fair number of sports like my late grandfather, who passed that down to me. We watched a lot of sports together,” he recollected. “My ability to talk about hockey, golf, and soccer made it easier for me to adjust to various conversations. My interests and capacity to connect with people no matter where they come from allows me to remain comfortable in most settings.”
Being a Student-Athlete
“The student-athlete label comes with a lot of weight. People just see the athlete part of it and assume the person got a scholarship or is at the school because of basketball or whatever sport they play,” he remarked. “My primary reason for choosing NYU was about the academic institution. I didn’t want to be labeled and known for playing the sport I did. I wanted my legacy to be that I was a student at NYU who played basketball.”
Brown was keenly aware of the stereotypes associated with being a Black athlete at a predominantly white institution. “The comments may be subtle. Certain things are said because of my race. I wish it didn’t have to be that way and that I could co-exist as a human being, not because I am a certain skin color, recognizing that it is only part of who I am,” he explained. “I know how I want to be represented as someone who attended and graduated from a strong academic institution. I have been so conscious of being bigger than the sport that you play. I graduated with an NYU degree because I put in the work academically and want to be known as a good human being, not being labeled as someone who went there because I played basketball.”
Advice for Other Student-Athletes of Color
“I wouldn’t be here without the mentors or people in my life who helped me on my journey from offering advice, making me meals, and giving me a couple dollars. That is why I am standing here. Find mentors and people you can go to with questions and be outlets. As Black people, we do keep a lot of stuff inside and that is difficult. You may not want to bother other people and believe that you are strong enough to handle it. Put that pride aside and reach out to someone. We all need that outlet as we are all going through this together,” Brown commented.
He also points out the importance of standing up for yourself. “Be comfortable challenging the standards, especially with white friends. If they are your friends and peers, people who supposedly respect you, it should be a common theme to have conversations with one another about things that really matter. With that, there shouldn’t be pressure or the need to dictate behavior to someone else, but rather a mutual conversation,” he recommended. “It will take a joint effort. If it comes down to them not wanting to be your friend because you challenged them, that is telling in itself. If they are really your friends, it should be simple to talk about these things. Your voice and your opinion should matter. Express yourself and don’t be afraid to call something out or the issue will continue.”
Role of Allies
“This is what I have struggled with in 2020. I had tremendous white friends who reached out, which was nice, but they were apologizing. I don’t want it to be about me. I have the unique privilege of growing up here and having great relationships with white friends, but a lot of people who look like me and talk like me don’t have those same relationships with white people. My white friends are close with me and able to reach out to me, but we have to be comfortable stepping outside of our bubbles and in different environments,” Brown stated.
He knows this critical work is not easy. “It must be done organically. There are other people out there who look like me doing incredible things that don’t have any recognition. It takes a tremendous effort to break that bubble and be on the same page as one another,” he acknowledged. “It is nice when people reach out to me, but who is reaching out to the people struggling in Black communities? For people standing up now, where were you before? This has been going on forever. Tamir Rice and Trayvon Martin don’t have the chance to grow up and have a life. We collectively need to immerse ourselves in different environments and challenging those in our own environments about the challenges all Black men and women, and trans and LGBTQ, people face. We need to step out of our comfort zones.”
Roles of Teams and Coaches
“You spend so much time together with the goal of working hard, playing hard, and winning basketball games. We can’t get caught up in the basketball portion because there is tremendous value in understanding one another as individuals. When things like this happen, these important conversations can take place. There is so much power in team and group efforts,” he described. “No one person can do this on their own. This is a tremendous battle we are facing.”
Brown did see an increase in people speaking out after George Floyd was murdered in late May 2000. “After Floyd’s death, so many student-athletes came together and shared their stories and/or had conversations with one another about how they can effect change. It is more than possible. If you expect students to play and participate, they need to feel safe and as if their voices are being heard and sincerely taken into account,” he articulated. “More student-athletes are holding coaches accountable. Everyone needs to be on the same page. An athlete should be able to tell a coach what they are going through on a daily basis with the coach listening, understanding, and having an action plan going forward.”
He sees a coach’s responsibility going beyond athletics. “Of course, a coach is there to lead and trach players to try to win, but there has to be more than sport. Coaches can be inviting and open to their players, scheduling conversations in their office. By doing this on a regular basis, it makes having discussions about events like the killing of Black people easier. Otherwise, it is just a player and coach with nothing more than practice and games,” he communicated. “Student-athletes are under a lot of pressure to be at the top of their games athletically and academically. It is easier when coaches are willing to have conversations outside of the game without it affecting playing time.”
Brown thinks one of the worst things a coach can do is to not say anything to their athletes over important current events that particularly affect Black people. “With all the well-publicized killings of Black people last year, one of my Black friends, who had several Black teammates, was upset that his coach didn’t say anything about the issue. It is super difficult being a young Black kid in the U.S. anyway so when a coach who spends a lot more time with an athlete than his or her family, doesn’t acknowledge what is happening, it is hurtful,” he explained. “It is important for coaches recruiting us to try to understand things we go through outside of the game we play. There is a humane element we seek that can happen with just a simple conversation.”