Expanding cultural competence and knowledge of human diversity is a particularly strong part of our history here at Penn State. Your students will be working alongside and learning with people from all over the world, who have different life experiences, and who contribute in diverse ways to our community.
While many of you are likely familiar with the sentiment of “We Are” and Penn State, you may not know the story of its origin.
In 1946, the Penn State football team was scheduled to play at the University of Miami for the finale of the regular season. Like a lot of southern schools at the time—remember, it’s the 1940s—the University of Miami would not allow visiting teams to compete if they had integrated rosters…unless the Black players were left at home.
The 1946 Penn State team decided to take a vote on whether or not they would go to the game, leaving their African-American players (Wally Triplett and Dennis Hoggard) at home OR forfeit the game. The team voted unanimously; it was all or none. Penn State forfeited the game against Miami and ended the season 6-2.
After the team meeting, Steve Suhey, an All-American Lineman, said that there wouldn’t be a need for future meetings like that one, and the team’s decision set the tone for the 1947 football season.
In 1947, the team went 9-0, reaching a ranking of #4 in the country. Penn State received an invitation to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. Again, Penn State was told to leave their African-American players at home. Steve Suhey, now a captain, is said to have uttered the phrase that is now a long-standing tradition: “It is all or none. We Are… Penn State.”
Because of Penn State’s ranking in the polls, the Cotton Bowl made an exception, allowing all of the Penn State team to travel to Dallas and to play in the game. In the city of Dallas, the African-American players weren’t allowed to stay in the local hotels. They had to stay on the outskirts of Dallas. Penn State played Southern Methodist University in the game. It ended in a tie, 13-13.
Steve Suhey didn’t create the “We Are” volley cheer that you hear almost everywhere in the world; the Penn State cheerleaders did in the 1970s. But, those cheerleaders received their inspiration from this Penn State story.
This story highlights that a commitment to community and respect have always been part of the Penn State story, but that we’ve also experienced our own set of challenges in meeting that commitment. Interesting to note, that when those same Black players returned to campus after the game, they weren’t allowed to live on campus in the residence halls. This underscores the challenges of our journey as a campus community. Each of us has struggled, from time-to-time, living and learning in a diverse (or lack thereof) community.
Today, more than ever, this statement stands for a commitment to racial and social justice and mutual respect that has always been a part of the Penn State story.
This story is a good story of the origins of "We Are...", and commendable that Penn State had the all or nothing focus on these specific games way ahead of its time. However, what stands out the most is this "We...see more