As today is the Juneteenth holiday, we’re re-posting this article from 2020, covering the Juneteenth rally and demonstration staged by the Notre Dame football team that year.
This is not the first time that the Notre Dame community and the Notre Dame football team fought against the ugly forces of hate and intolerance that exist in our society.
The Fighting Irish nickname comes from a Saturday in 1924 which saw the ND student body beat down the Ku Klux Klan and drive them out of South Bend.
The KKK had chosen South Bend as their rally location due to the city’s high percentage of Catholics and the large Catholic University being located there. When the students fought back against the hate group, legend has it that ND starting quarterback Harry Stuhldreher, one of the acclaimed Four Horsemen, was instrumental in the incident.
Shifting back to current day, this past Friday saw the school hold a Juneteenth rally, an event titled #StaNDTogether.
Approximately 1,500 people attended the rally, including staff from every varsity sport. A total of 13 head coaches were in attendance, with speeches given by head football coach Brian Kelly, defensive lineman Daelin Hayes and offensive lineman Max Siegel.
Staged at the Irish Green, the event opened with a prayer from defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa. Players wore black shirts, in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, and then went on a Unity Walk across campus.
Four videos, including footage of Kelly and Hayes’ speeches are below:
“Standing on the sidelines is no longer an option."
This Juneteenth, @NDFootball’s @CoachBrianKelly joined the Notre Dame family to march for unity and equality.#staNDtogether #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/kHZd2usmSk
— The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) June 20, 2020
Breaking the chains of silence.
Every varsity program joined @NDFootball on Juneteenth to march for equality and peace.#staNDtogether #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/YfxkDAXcI6
— The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) June 20, 2020
"We will use this platform. We will always stand up for what is right."
In celebration of Juneteenth, @NDFootball’s @DaelinHayes_IX led us in prayer before marching for equality.#staNDtogether #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/HSkm1tUz09
— The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) June 20, 2020
Fighting for unity and equality.
In celebration of Juneteenth, every varsity program joined @NDFootball to #staNDtogether against racism.#BlackLivesMatter #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/Xxvftl6gJl
— The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) June 20, 2020
Kelly is absolutely right when he says that the current movement in our society is about so much more than removing a Confederate flag or taking Aunt Jemima off a Quaker Oats box. As he said, it’s about systemic inequalities that have been pervasive in multiple arenas throughout history.
I strongly suggest watching as many videos and viewing as many photos as you can from the #StaNDtogether event at Notre Dame.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.