Big Ten Celebrates Black History Month

Conference will feature in-depth look at 22 past and present student-athletes

The Big Ten will feature an in-depth look at 22 past and present student-athletes during its Black History Month celebration throughout February.

The Big Ten will feature an in-depth look at 22 past and present student-athletes during its Black History Month celebration throughout February.

Feb. 1, 2010


Big Ten's Black History Month Website

Park Ridge, Ill. - In a continued effort to commemorate the achievements of African-Americans on Big Ten campuses, the conference office announced the 22 student-athletes to be recognized on the Big Ten's Black History Month website.  Throughout February, the website will feature stories on current and former student-athletes from each institution and can be accessed at www.bigten.org. 

The distinguished group includes: Illinois' J.C. Caroline (football) and Terry Hite David (volleyball), Indiana's Bill Garrett (men's basketball) and Whitney Thomas (women's basketball), Iowa's Fred Brown (men's basketball) and Felicia Hall Allen (women's basketball), Michigan's Barry Larkin (baseball) and Marissa Young (softball), Michigan State's Don Coleman (football) and Kisha Kelley (women's basketball), Minnesota's Bobby Bell (football) and Liz Alabi (women's track and field), Northwestern's Chris Hinton (football) and Ifeoma Okonkwo (women's basketball), Ohio State's Brian Robiskie (football) and Regina Oliver (lacrosse), Penn State's Curt Warner (football) and Helen Darling (women's basketball), Purdue's Roland Parrish (men's track and field) and Camille Cooper Ozumba (women's basketball) and Wisconsin's Ron Dayne (football) and Robin Threatt-Elliot (women's basketball).

The Black History Month website also features stories on the conference's first African-American student-athlete--Moses "Fleetwood" Walker--and arguably the most famous track and field athlete of all-time in Jesse Owens.  The website also includes archived stories on student-athletes previously recognized on the Big Ten's Black History Month website.  In addition, the site features information on the Big Ten's contributions through the Advisory Commission, the SCORE (Success Comes Out of Reading Everyday) program and the C.D. Henry internship.