Dawn Staley Inserted Race Into Her Response About Getting A Statue Made In Her Likeness
The state of South Carolina decided to honor Dawn Staley by building a statue in her likeness. Predictably, she turned this into a commentary about how black women are not honored enough in America.
In an interview with ESPN’s College GameDay, the panel (made of entirely black women) asked Staley about how this honor made her feel. She expressed a surprising level of humility, but couldn’t help but insert race into her response.
"I wanted A’Ja Wilson to be the only USC player to be bestowed that honor," Staley said before her team’s game against Georgia. "It’s something the city of Columbia wanted, it wasn’t anything I politicked for. Not very many women, let alone Black women, get bestowed in this honor."
She’s right about her not asking for the statue. A group called "Statues for Equality" (SFE) approached Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann about this matter. The group’s objective is to create more statues of women throughout the country in order to focus on their accomplishments. If you smell wokeness, don’t worry. Your nose isn’t lying to you.
When asked which woman Rickenmann wanted to honor, he chose Staley. The bronze statue will take roughly 10-12 months to finish, and will be placed in downtown Columbia.
Despite the progressive motives of SFE, creating a Staley statue makes sense. She’s won two national titles and is one of the best coaches of all-time in the sport.
But her illogical response took away from the sincerity and enjoyment of the moment.
Staley Inserted Race Into A Problem That Doesn't Exist
What SFE and Staley need to recognize is that statues aren’t made for just anybody. They’re reserved for men and women who have done something to change the course of history, or accomplished greatness in their given sphere of influence. That’s why most statues are built to honor presidents, explorers, or people who brought about significant (and honorable) cultural change.
Staley seems to believe that women - black ones in particular - don’t get recognized for the ways in which they do that. I assume when she answered this question, she innocently forgot the 26 monuments built in Joan of Arc’s honor in the United States. Or the 21 built for Harriet Tubman. Or the 20 built for Sacagawea. It turns out worthy women do get honored in our country.
Dawn Staley couldn't help but play the race card when ESPN asked her about her thoughts on getting a stature made in her likeness. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Then there’s the part about her self-comparison to Wilson, a black Gamecocks forward who graduated in 2018. The 2017 NCAA champion has her own statue on South Carolina’s campus, and Staley seemed adamant about making sure she’s the only Gamecocks women’s basketball figure to get a statue made of her.
I understand the sentiment of that statement. However, it doesn’t add up with the rest of her comments.
Staley thinks it's a problem that black women don’t have enough statues made in their likenesses. So if she gets the chance to have one made of herself, why would she play the "I’m not worthy" card in the same breath? If you do that, you’re limiting the opportunities to address the (fake) "problem" you so obviously care about.
But that’s exactly the point. People like Staley don’t care about logic, they only care about sowing division. That, unfortunately, comes as naturally to her as winning basketball games.