Ex-Tar Heel George Lynch Trying To Raise Money For Small Black College Student-Athletes

Former North Carolina Tar Heel and Los Angeles Laker George Lynch was coaching at Clark University in Atlanta until the Covid-19 crisis hit, and the school was forced to shot down like so many colleges and universities around the United States.

The students were told they would have to complete their semesters through online courses, but the problem was that many of them did not have computers or access to Wi-Fi.

“Nine of my 13 players had 3.0 grade-point averages or better, and I only had four scholarship players,” said Lynch, whose school was knocked out of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament by top-ranked Miles College. They finished trhe season 14-16, including 12-7 in the conference.

These days, as America and most of the world if shut down by the Coronavirus, many of Lynch’s student-athletes are unable to continue their educations.

But Lynch and and organization called the Historically Black College and Universities has come up with a solution, and they are engaging corporate America in an effort to provide these students with laptops to get their studies back on track.

Already, Chase Bank has donated 10 laptops and tablets to Clark Atlanta University and 10 to Grambling State University, and the HBCU is trying to spread the word of its mission.

“I played at North Carolina, and what I have experienced at the small black colleges is totally different from what it was like at UNC,” said Lynch, who famously was part of the multi-team trade that landed Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles (Lynch ended up with the Vancouver Grizzlies).

“I wore No. 34, and Shaq wanted my number,” Lynch joked.

“At big schools, you might use a pair of sneakers and then get another brand-new pair for the next game. At out school, you get one pair that you have to use for the entire season.”

“Many of them were using school resources and now they have to find their own. Some are even going back to homes where there isn’t WiFi to support their school work. Something has to be done to assist them.”

Lynch and Pennywell joined forces to launch HBCU Heroes. A nonprofit that raises the bar and funding for HBCU athletic programs. “Our goal is to ensure ALL HBCU athletes have the resources to help them compete academically and athletically, said Tracy Pennywell, co-founder of HBCU Heroes. “We want them to have exposure and opportunities.”

By providing students with computers during digital learning, the organization assists with:

-Increasing academic performance so students don’t fall behind, risking eligibility.

-Increasing retention/graduation rates by removing this barrier to online education for as long as needed.

-Decreasing the educational divide by providing access to updated computers for online courses which many students and their parents otherwise could not afford.

“We are asking for HBCU alumni, philanthropists, professional athletes, corporations, organizations, etc. to donate to HBCU Heroes so we can purchase and provide as many laptops as possible to support these students. Our goal is to giveaway 6,000 computers nationwide,” Lynch said.

Lynch took the coaching job at Clark after working on coach Larry Brown’s staff at Southern Methodist. Like many former NBA players, he wants to maintain a connection to the game, but he is learning that life after the NBA brings challenges that he never could have imagined when he was traveling to NBA cities.

“Even the little things like proper nutrition and training tables are lacking at these small schools,” Lynch said.

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. During the period of segregation in the United States prior to the Civil Rights Act, the overwhelming majority of higher education institutions were predominantly white and completely disqualified or limited African-American enrollment. For a century after the end of slavery in the United States in 1865, most colleges and universities in the Southern United States prohibited all African Americans from attending, while institutions in other parts of the country regularly employed quotas to limit admissions of blacks.

There are 101 HBCUs in the United States, including both public and private institutions (down from the 121 institutions that existed during the 1930s). Of these remaining HBCU institutions in the United States, 27 offer doctoral programs, 52 offer master’s programs, 83 offer bachelor’s degree programs, and 38 offer associate degrees.

For more information:

Instagram: @hbcuheroes

Facebook: @hbcuheroes

Twitter: @hbcuheroes

LinkedIn: HBCU Heroes

GoFundMe link below:

gofundme.comHBCU Heroes Computer Drive organized by Tracey Pennywell