Huskies Visit ‘Hallowed Ground’ In Atlanta
December 27, 2016 | Football, General
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
ATLANTA – Taelon Parson sat in the first row of Washington players at Ebenezer Baptist Church. As the receiver listened to civil-rights leaders Xernona Clayton, Dr. C.T. Vivian and Ambassador Andrew Young share personal stories, Parson started to formulate his question.
With the Huskies filling half of the church and Alabama taking up the other, Parson listened as Vivian told the players on each team that, "until all of us decide to be truly human, none of us will be."
When Young said, "You are right in the middle of changing the world. You can't escape it. Immerse yourself in it," Parson was listening, working on his question.
And, as Clayton added, "Unity, it's beautiful," Parson continued to try and make sure he seized his opportunity to be thoughtful with his query. He couldn't let slip a chance to learn from those who were key figures in the civil-rights movement.
So, after a panel moderated by Monica Pearson, the first woman and minority to anchor the 6 p.m. new in Atlanta, Parson asked his question.
What steps do we need to take as a society today to step forward toward progress?
Parson, like others seated around him, wants to do his part to help affect positive social change, so he went straight to those who have lived it.
"It was nice to hear what their process was all about and what we need to do as a society – and when I say we I mean it kind of like a royal we – the next steps we need to take to make an impact and improve," he said.
"It was a super cool experience, especially to meet some people who actually walked with Dr. King, lived around Dr. King and we involved in that drive and progress moving things forward. It was a super awesome experience."
In the church where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a pastor, the two teams preparing for Saturday's College Football Playoff semifinal listened to stories about his legacy as a leader of the American civil-rights movement.
"It was pretty cool," linebacker Keishawn Bierria said. "Where I'm from, that type of knowledge usually comes from your grandparents, but other than that, you don't talk to people who have had that much influence, who have been involved in the civil rights movement."
Pearson and Clayton both described the church as "hallowed ground" and that was the feeling throughout the room.
"I thought that was a super interesting way to portray it, because just down here in the south it's such a historical place, a place that's seen a lot of history, seen a lot of deaths and a lot of change happen," Parson said. "It was an incredible experience.
For more than an hour, all eyes were fixed on the stage. The only voices were those four panelists seated at the front of the room.
"The mere fact that we're together is a sign of progress," Young said.
That idea resonated with Parson, who talked about how impressive it was for both teams to sit in the same room and come together to share such a special stage in a historic venue.
On this particular night, the attraction had nothing to do with the logos on the chests of Washington and Alabama players. As the Huskies work through bowl week, there is time to work and time for fun. But, on this particular occasion, the team had the opportunity to learn about the past and think about the future while spending time on hallowed ground.
"It was really amazing," Bierria said. "To sit there and listen to an hour-long conversation, it really opens your mind to things you don't always think about in your daily life."
