At their press conference, the talented young women of the Rutgers women’s basketball team showed they have more class and dignity than Don Imus, a Radio Hall of Fame broadcaster, has acquired in nearly 40 years on the air.
The eloquent words of team captain Essence Carson were the essence of calm in the media glare. She spoke about how Imus “has stolen a moment of pure grace from us.”
In agreeing to meet with Imus, these “ambassadors of Rutgers” demonstrated their character and tolerance of a retrograde who deserves “rebuke and scorn.”
Head Coach C. Vivian Stringer told Wolf Blitzer of CNN:
We were very hurt, angry, dismayed. In a nutshell, stunned by what we perceived as sexist and racist remarks by Mr. Imus…It was an affront to all women, all people.
These are young women between the ages of 17 and 22 who are stellar students and outstanding basketball players.
We’re hurt and we’re angry but proud of the way the young ladies handled themselves at today’s press conference.
Coach Stringer, we are all proud of you and your gifted and hard-working scholar-athletes.