CINCINNATI – A local high school basketball coach has an idea to confront the racism we’ve seen in different schools across the Tri-State recently.
From the Elder student cheering section to the rec league basketball jerseys worn by Kings High students to the Mason teacher who espoused lynching.
"Someone can be different, but when it's all said and done, they're just like you," said Walnut Hills High School basketball coach Ricardo Hill.
That's the message Hill wants to spread on and off the court by forming a coaches alliance.
LISTEN: Elder student cheering section uses racist chants
"The goal is to bring everyone together and just get to know one another," Hill said.
Hill envisions coaches, teachers and professors from the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University participating in a series of seminars to learn more about diversity, sensitivity and accepting different cultures.
"It's a standard now that you can be blatant with racism or discrimination, so we just want to show the other side - the lovable side that we want to bring out," Hill said.
"As teachers, as administrators, as coaches, we have to mentor our kids and filter that positive lovable and kindness and bring that out of someone."
Eric Hill, a diversity expert, believes weeding out racism takes a strategic approach. Some teachers and administrators might be part of the problem, he said.
"Although there has to be accountability in schools, we have to recognize that civility, respectful, fairness are things we have to apply a more strategic approach to," Ellis said. "You have a bell curve of educators and others who don't care as much or they have implicit or unconscious bias that they're not even aware of."
The goal of this new coaches alliance is to bring these two sides together for a more positive outcome with a focus on the students, Hill says.
"It can be something that is truly a blessing to everyone," Hill said.
The plan is to start the coaches alliance after the this basketball season.
