Athletics as a bridge of culture
Athletic success defined Larry Jeffries time at Trinity on both a personal and social level. A very dedicated man, Jeffries recounted that his intentions for coming to Trinity never changed. He chose to embody the ideal student athlete, cherishing the opportunity for a special education and athletic career. Also, the racial climate at Trinity during his time was less contentious than other situations examined. Few black students attended at the time, but Jeffries attests that this was more of an economic issue than racial. The few that did were mostly athletes on scholarship; a dinosaur compared to today’s D3 athletes. These men and women faced the generic microagressions associated with racism, but buy and large had it better off then other minority students in the south. According to Jeffries, professors greeted him with prejudice in his classes, but the feelings often wore off as they got to know him. Judging from this statement, and the fact that he graduated Trinity and went on to have a successful business career, it is safe to theorize Jeffries dealt with less academic discrimination than indicated in the studies earlier. Asked to elaborate on this assertion, Jeffries said, “People began to respect the hard work I put into what I did, and after that there were very few issues.” Respect also appeared to bridge the social gap for Jeffries. Trinity’s student body embraced the basketball team because of their newfound success, and with him as the best player from day one, dealing with hate rarely happened. Instead, Jeffries found a warm reception for both his talents and his character.