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| Fred Engh | |
Fred Engh has been involved in youth sports for more than 30 years as a coach, athletic director and sports educator. Engh is the author, with Jann Seal, of the memoir Matchsticks: An Education in Black & White (Square One Publishers), about his years as a white student at all-Black Maryland State College. He recently answered some questions about his book and experiences.
Why would someone who is white choose to write a book on racism at this time?
While I knew that my experience going to Maryland State College was a little unusual--it was, after all, still a segregated college in the early '60s when I was there--my initial story as I began to write was simply going to center on my friendship with Bob Taylor, a talented Black athlete, and our time together on the school's golf team. The more I thought back on those days, though, the more I realized that my story went far beyond the tale of a college friendship.
I don't feel that the lessons I learned in my youth, both inside and outside the classrooms of that school, are any less valuable just because I am white. I was focused first and foremost in those days on getting an education, like everyone else in the school. As I soon learned, however, I was not subjected to the frequent abuses that my fellow students had to endure simply because of their skin color. That was a crucial situation for me to witness and learn about, and it certainly helped to shape and enrich my world view. While I don't think anyone of color has to be told about prejudice, I do believe there are enough people out there who may enjoy reading about how I came to play college golf in the all-Black league of Maryland--and what I took away from the experience, other than a shared championship team trophy.
What was your motivation for going to an all-Black college in 1961?
At that time, my wife and I were living in a trailer camp with our two young children--with a third child on the way. I was doing what I could, but we were struggling financially. During a family dinner visit with my parents, my mother told me in no uncertain terms that I would always be a failure unless I did something more with my life. A few days later, I happened to hear a local college sports coach talking on the radio about his school's programs. That same week, I decided to earn a teaching degree in Physical Education from that coach's school, which happened to be Maryland State College. The campus was the one closest to my home, so I decided to go. It didn't matter to me that it was an all-Black school--getting that degree was something I needed to do for my family, and for myself.
How did you feel as the only white student at the college?
Initially, I was definitely nervous. There was no question that I was an unintentional standout among the student body. That changed, though--the more that I met people on campus and in my classes, the more I gladly realized that I was being accepted as just another student. I'm sure that my being Bob Taylor's friend--who was without question that school's "BMOC" (Big Man On Campus) helped, but there was never any moment that I saw or felt any hostility.
What did you gain out of that experience?
I had been raised in a segregated state. While I saw what was going on as I grew up, I chose not to say anything. I witnessed many incidents of blatant racism around me, but I would keep quiet. I never thought of myself as being prejudiced, but it wasn't until I went to Maryland State College that I came to learn one important lesson. Staying silent about a racist act is no better than being an overt racist yourself. It was something that I still carry with me every day.
Why did you choose to put in timelines throughout the book?
While my book is primarily a memoir about my life and experiences during the 1960s, the benefits of hindsight and my own present-day perspective about what the Black community has encountered--past and present--led to my decision to include timelines that mark significant moments in the ongoing story of racism here in America. By seeing these historical events presented on the page in this way, my hope is that my readers will better understand the history that was unfolding in years past--and, as we still see in the news every day, continues to unfold.
How did that experience affect your life?
It embedded in me a deep need to help those undermined by their upbringing--no matter the culture or background. I was driven, after receiving my college degree, to create programs that would help young people to enjoy the many psychological, emotional, and physical benefits that the world of sports can provide. In so doing, I am proud to say that those several millions of adults throughout America who serve as youth sports coaches and administrators have received their training from the nonprofit organization that I founded, the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS). In addition, NAYS' international divisions have helped introduce kids to the joys and challenges of youth sports by providing equipment and training within 16 developing countries. None of this would have happened for me without the life-changing experiences--and friendships--that came my way while attending Maryland State College.