The late Perry Wallace was a true trailblazer at Vanderbilt in many ways. On the basketball court he proved that Blacks could excel and helped smash the barriers of ignorance that had kept them prohibited from being on SEC campuses for decades. Off the court
he was an academic success, showing that you could combine greatness on the court with accomplishments off it. He also underwent a lot of turmoil and struggles during his Vanderbilt tenure, something chronicled in Andrew Maraniss’ exceptional book “Strong Inside: Perry Wallace and the collision of race and sports in the South.:
Now the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) has decided to name its award given to their choice as the year’s Most Courageous Player in honor of Perry Wallace. Beginning with this season, it will be the Perry Wallace Most Courageous Award. It recognizes a player, coach or administrator who exudes and demonstrates courage in reflecting the honor of amateur basketball. The honor was announced last Friday, which also just happened to be Wallace’s birthday.
Not only did Perry Wallace become the first Black player in the SEC, he graduated from Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering and subsequently earned a law degree from Columbia University. He later worked as an attorney with the Justice Department and also became a professor at American University. Though he passed in 2017, his memory and impact remain highly visible at Vanderbilt.
“We are thrilled that the USWBA has renamed its Most Courageous Award to honor the late Perry Wallace, a brilliant man and pioneer who stands as one of the most courageous figures in the history of college basketball,” Vanderbilt Athletic Director Candace Lee said Sunday in a statement. “Following his days at Vanderbilt,m Perry enjoyed a long career as a professor, and I am certain he would be proud to see his name associated with an award that recognizes the most courageous among a new generation of college students.”
Vanderbilt also announced it will cover future travel and lodgings costs of future award honorees and their families at the respective Final Four locations where the award will be presented. Wallace is Vanderbilt’s second all-time leader in rebounds per game at 11.5. Vanderbilt also has a scholarship named after him and a portion of 25th Avenue near the campus carries his name.
Today many SEC schools look more like HBCUs on the basketball court, but those of us old enough to recall a time when the only Blacks at most of those places were working on the campuses know the sacrifices made and battles Perry Wallace fought to enable others to follow in his footsteps.
The mainstream media does a lot of things wrong, but this is one time they got it exactly right.