James Franklin: 'We must sustain this momentum of social change'

During a university roundtable discussion on diversity and equity, Penn State coach James Franklin asks, "Are we living up to the ideals of our school's mantra of 'We Are' and what this truly means?"

Penn State coach James Franklin deliberately arranges his locker room to force players from different backgrounds to interact with one another. It's strategic, Franklin said, and he believes it works.

"Our locker room forces uncomfortable dialogue because, of course, outside the locker room we have been taught to distrust each other because of race, because of geographic region, or political parties," Franklin said. "We break down the invisible, unspoken prejudice shaping our behaviors. The locker room is purposely meant to encourage players to self-reflect and bring them closer together. While our players may not realize it when they first arrive, a transformation occurs after they step foot in the locker room."

What if that locker-room strategy could be extended to society at large? Franklin offered that concept to preface a discussion Penn State recently hosted on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Franklin delivered the introduction to Penn State's most recent installment of its "Toward Racial Equity at Penn State" roundtable series in which faculty, staff and students of color discuss their experiences at Penn State. The discussion included Dr. Jennifer Hamer, a professor in the department of African American Studies; Dr. Alina Wong, assistant vice provost for educational equity and three students.

In addition, Brandon Short, a university trustee and former football player, described his experiences arriving at Penn State as a freshman from McKeesport, Pa., in the 1990s. Short said he "nearly had a panic attack when I realized that my teammate and I were the only Black people in a class with 300 students."

In his remarks, Franklin discussed how he addresses diversity issues within his team and asked questions of the university community at large. Among them: "Are we living up to the ideals of our school's mantra of 'We Are' and what this truly means?"

The discussion is available to view online. Here are Franklin's remarks in full.

Most of you know me as the head football coach here at Penn State. I'm also a son, brother, husband and father. I'm also biracial. My mother was white, and my father was black. I see the world through these eyes, and I believe this is a privilege.

In this racially divided world, most people have not had legitimate long-term relationships across race. I have. I have learned from these relationships. Before I introduce the moderator for this evening's conversation, I want to share some of the lessons I have learned in hopes it will help you to open your heart and mind to the ensuing conversation.

The first goal is, regardless of your path, you can choose to make a difference for others. In fact, I see this is as an obligation of being a good person and a good citizen. Racial inequality exists, and I need for you to believe that, even if you cannot see it, and choose to make a difference. At the end of the day, I got into this business to make a difference in the lives of young people.

For me, coaching and mentoring student-athletes begins with education. It does not matter the topic: racial injustices, women's rights, healthy relationships, social media etiquette, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health, or how to beat cover 2. I believe deep down it is my responsibility to inform and teach our student-athletes how to be informed citizens, how to choose excellence daily and how to navigate living in today's world.

Many of our players, as you may know, are racial and ethnic minorities. They face racial inequalities. They will often be the target of bias and negative stereotyping, not only because of the color of their skin but also because they are often seen as physically imposing figures. They're easy to spot in the classroom and easy to spot at a party. As a man of color and a former student-athlete, I know what life is like for them.

It is great to get attention, but not when people assume the worst of you because of your size, gender, color of your skin. I am concerned how the world may respond to them because of their size, their gender and their skin color. Whether it is in the classroom, or when they are just hanging out like students do, I am motivated every day to help our student-athletes to understand this complex world and how this complex world perceives them. Whether you are a student-athlete, researcher, dancer, poet, writer or musician, we all believe universities like Penn State should be a sacred, safe place where dreams, diverse thoughts and ideas take flight.

Goal number two: Diversity is more than just race. It's not lost on me [that] diversity, in my mind, is so much more than skin color. Diversity, in its broadest sense, is a range of differences and yes, racial diversity is one example, but there are so many others. Age, thought, gender and gender expression, religion and nationality, sexuality and geographic diversity.

We're all in this journey together, yet we have a diversity of roles and responsibilities. Mine is to lead, educate and inspire young adults. Yours might be different but no less important. For this journey to work, we must sustain this momentum of social change we see happening nationally and around the globe. From my view, it is a momentum that is asking we all embrace one another in ways that are healthy for everyone, regardless of our differences.

Goal number three is that people can change. Institutions can change. And we have to believe that we can create a new normal that is a better society. Our work and our charge as educators is to create an environment where young people, the voices you will hear from tonight, can live up to their potential as human beings. The university experience exists because I, like many of you, believe in human potential and our collective potential.

I'll admit I'm ambitious. I yearn for constant improvement. Today I'm applying this ambition by kicking off this important conversation about race. But in my daily life, the urgency is directed toward our football program. I see similarities between what must happen to create a better university and what must happen to build a successful football program. Let me explain.

I am relentless in my approach to improve our football program, relentless in my attempt to develop a community of players who excel academically and athletically and can reflect socially and spiritually. There is strength in diversity. We improve our football program every year because our racial and ethnic differences indicate what we value. We understand we have a strong team because we do not let race and ethnicity determine who can be on the team, who can be in the locker room, who will start, and ultimately who will succeed. We have the most skilled, the smartest, and fastest players because we do not deny opportunity because of what they look like or where they are from.

There is strength in normalizing diversity in community-building. Engagement across racial and ethnic differences is normal in our locker room. You cannot walk to your locker, walk to the field, walk down the hall without speaking to someone who looks different, talks different, and comes from a different background than you. This is our locker room community. Our locker room arrangement centers around the many social identities of our players. Our locker room arrangement is deliberate and motivated by this notion that diversity fosters deep, meaningful relationships.

Humbly, I have found success in not only encouraging but forcing a diversity of people to communicate and identify what is best about each other. It is my experience, as the head football coach, our success as a program hinges on the strength of the relationships. Player to player, coach to player, we must know each other. And we have to trust each other. We are so much stronger when we cultivate a culture of inclusivity, trust and caring. This process requires individuals to surrender their egos, biases, judgments, and vulnerabilities in a way that connects and binds us to one another.

Our locker room forces uncomfortable dialogue because, of course, outside the locker room we have been taught to distrust each other because of race, because of geographic region, or political parties. We break down the invisible, unspoken prejudice shaping our behaviors. The locker room is purposely meant to encourage players to self-reflect and bring them closer together. While our players may not realize it when they first arrive, a transformation occurs after they step foot in the locker room. It's strategic. It's one of the ways we construct our team and better the individuals comprising it.

When we know each other more and respect each other more, we realize we are more similar than we are different. And suddenly we're shaped by commonality and energized by the collection of our differences. Just as I am relentless in building a strong football with a respectful diverse community, I am relentless in holding the same expectations for this Penn State community. I ask myself: Are we improving culturally? Are we more inclusive or are we less inclusive? Are we advancing a more diverse, a more equitable, a more forgiving community? Are we raising our ambitions of who and what we can become? Are we living up to the ideals of our school's mantra of we are and what this truly means?

What I believe is, whether it be in a locker room or a classroom, when individuals feel their peers, coaches, teachers, program, and/or the university have their best interest in mind, they will invest more in themselves and one another. This is the sweet spot. This is when change occurs. You can see it and feel it. If this can occur in our locker room, it can occur at Penn State and in towns all across America. As we navigate through our new normal, I am hopeful we may all see this health crisis and social crisis as a catalyst for change and sustained long-term growth.

Let me close with this. When I meet with our team daily, I see 121 different skin tones. I see 121 different hairstyles. And I see 121 different personalities expressed through tattoos, clothing, headwear and jewelry. This is my bubble. These are my daily surroundings. But I am not naive to think this is everybody's experience and daily reality. Outside of the locker room and our football bubble, I wonder what our players, especially those in the minority, walk to The Hub on campus, do they see the same variety of skin tones or expressions of differences? What does normal look like for these guys? What does normal feel like away from the friendly confines of their safe, sacred place, our locker room? What does normal look like for students of color at Penn State? What does their experience yield? Do they feel like outsiders? Do they feel a part of this community? Do they feel isolated? Do they feel included? Do they feel normal?

If these types of feelings are present and have been present for many years, have they become normalized for our students of color? Is being uncomfortable their expectation? If so, we must change. And if so, I am saddened, because life, especially the college years, is supposed to be transformative. Despite the grief associated with this calendar year and the challenging picture I just painted, I am hopeful we can draw inspiration from our locker room and my experiences with this diverse group of student-athletes. If our players, arguably the most diverse group of students on campus, can find common ground and can see each other as they are fragile human beings striving for greatness, then we all can we can. You can, this campus can, our community can and this nation can. As your coach, as a father, as a husband, as a son and brother, I need a better tomorrow than we have today. I want to be part of the solution. My intentions are heartfelt, and I'm ready to work.

I ask you to join me for the conversation and let us count today as our first step together toward a new and better tomorrow. Thank you for listening.

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