We need to hold Bill Self accountable, too
In the immediate aftermath of George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer while three other officers watched without intervening, sports organizations put out statements of solidarity. While these statements weren’t exactly nothing, many of them scanned as committee-crafted corporate-speak that said all the right platitudes about race and unity without going into much detail on proposed steps for progress.
So when Bill Self put out a statement separate from KU Athletics’ communication, I was impressed by his willingness to go more in depth, relatively speaking:
In moments of adversity, Self is solid; his down-to-earth persona masks a disarming awareness. But as sports teams pledge to do more, I’m often asking myself, “Well, what changes?” The COVID outbreak is preventing many organizations from having all of their decision makers in one room, in their own facility—but that’s not necessarily an excuse. What will Kansas basketball change in the short term, and what will they prioritize going forward?
When The Kansas City Star put together a “Race and Sports” forum featuring Tyrann Mathiau—whose contributions to the Kansas City community and the local conversation around race outweigh his contributions as a very good free safety on a Super Bowl Champion—Negro League Museum president Bob Kendrick, Royals GM Dayton Moore, KSU womens basketball player Christianna Carr, MU head coach Cuonzo Martin and Self, I knew there would be an opportunity to hear prominent KC-area decision-makers go more in depth. It’s definitely worth a watch:
While the conversation’s prompts skewed macro—and its 45-minute length precluding any panelist from really outlining specific action—Self impressed me by speaking pointedly.
“Although we’ve been vocal, it’s time for me to allow my players to have the voice and have me stand with them as opposed to standing in front of them and having them stand behind me,” Self said. “I’m looking forward to words becoming actions. We have a platform to make a difference.”
To be sure, these comments are still just words, but I’m encouraged that Self seems to be listening to his (mostly Black) players. Self did not say “I’ll push the players’ voices forward and stand back,” which would be an implicit yielding of responsibility; if anything, his comments suggested he’d be amplifying their perspective in the near future.
Self is the most powerful person in the Kansas athletic department, a far more influential voice than AD Jeff Long. Any broader changes to how KU approaches diversity hiring and other structural issues will begin with him. While Self spoke well in the Star panel, his presence underscored the fact that KU fans need to hold him accountable in the short-term and beyond.
In a year or two, I want to be able to ask myself “What did KU change?” and have a laundry list of definitive actions. Self spoke to imminent action more than any other topic. Self has been an undeniable force as a coach, someone who has completely redefined what success is in Kansas basketball. But his most important moment—which includes Self stepping out of or at least sharing the spotlight—might be imminent.