The Power and Prestige of HBCUs Displayed At The CIAA Tournament In Baltimore, Maryland

By James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D. I have long suggested that the CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) puts on the greatest sporting event in the United States of America. As many already know, the CIAA was founded in 1912. This year’s CIAA Basketball Tournament was held from February 26th to March 2nd in Baltimore, Maryland. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe how great this weeklong event was. The CIAA is the first and longest-running African-American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. It conducts more than 14 championships, attended by thousands of fans from across the country. If you have been around HBCUs, you know the CIAA and its storied history. I am fortunate to have come of age in CIAA country. Being from Winston-Salem NC and growing up around the corner from Clarence (Big House) Gaines, my friends and I knew about this conference very early in our lives. Early on, schools like Johnson C. Smith University (NC), of which I am a graduate, Winston-Salem Teachers College (now State University) (NC), and Virginia Union University (VA) were members. At some point, I found out you could receive an athletic scholarship to...