Mayor Randall Woodfin Urges Student-Athletes to Reconsider Alabama College If Anti-DEI Bill Passes

One Alabama mayor issues a warning to student-athletes.

Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin on social media said if lawmakers of the state pass a bill that bars inclusion, equity and diversity programs in the state’s public schools and universities, he would recommend parents of minority student-athletes to forgo any college in Alabama and select states that have diversity programs, according to NBC News.

Birmingham’s mayor was reacting to the state Senate’s approval last week of a bill that would also ban public schools from confirming a divisive concept, including teaching that “slavery and racism are aligned with the founding principles of the United States,” and that “fault, blame, or bias should be assigned to members or a race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.”

Still, the bill needs a House vote before it can even be signed into law by Republican governor Kay Ivey.

According to Census.gov, Alabama is nearly 27% Black, and in the state, of course, college football is big business. The top program in the state is Alabama, which is rivaled by Auburn. In Woodfin’s post, he asked the “leadership, athletic directors and coaches” of those colleges if they supported the law. As of last Friday, the schools haven’t responded.

“To the parents of minority athletes who are helping their children decide if they want to play sports at those institutions: Would you be cool with your child playing at schools where diversity among staff is actively being discouraged?

Although I’m the biggest Bama fan, I have no problem organizing Black parents and athletes to attend other institutions outside of the state where diversity and inclusion are prioritized. If supporting inclusion becomes illegal in this state, hell, you might as well stand in front of the school door like Governor (George) Wallace,” Woodfin shared in his post.

Birmingham resident Kena Clark, who supports Woodfin, said she wholeheartedly agrees.

“He faces a lot of criticism for any position that he takes because he’s a Democrat in a Republican-run state,” she said. “(His words show) his character and his caring about us as a people. He’s willing to face the criticism and stand up for what we deal with as Black people here.”