Halftime. Honey Fitch

[98Uconn]

I've always been a proud UConn grad... but never more so than today.

 

[Huskybass]

1932.

 

[Umami Zen]

Better late than never. Well-deserved.

 

[gtcam]

It was a great tribute and I applaud his son for a well thought out and sincere message
I thought that the TV and UConn officials were going to go nuts because they had to stop the halftime countdown 4 times.
It may have gone long but it shed such a positive light on the school
I am writing a check to the scholarship/organization.

 

[98Uconn]

Same. And the best for me was that my kids, 19 and 16 y/o said to me that they were so happy to be at this game bc of this tribute than the Tik tok game. Made me a proud dad... and the entire student section watched every second of that halftime speech.

 

[superjohn]

It's easy to do the right thing nowadays when it comes to this stuff but it wasn't back in the 1930's. UConn handled themselves great back then and they're handling Harrison "Honey" Finch's legacy great this season. I'm glad I got to learn about this man and his Husky story.

New Haven’s ‘Honey Fitch’ inducted to UConn basketball’s Huskies of Honor program

UConn honors New Haven’s Fitch with induction

Fitch, of Hillhouse High in New Haven the first Black basketball player at UConn,...

www.ctinsider.com

 

[98Uconn]

Hard to imagine.. his father was a slave. We're not very far removed from that awful part of our history.

 

[Drame]

Me and my family got to hang out with Brooks Fitch today and he’s a great guy. The whole family was so joyful and positive. Great to recognize them.

 

[XLCenterFan]

Same. And the best for me was that my kids, 19 and 16 y/o said to me that they were so happy to be at this game bc of this tribute than the Tik tok game. Made me a proud dad... and the entire student section watched every second of that halftime speech.

I noticed most of the arena stayed and watched. A great tribute. I'm very happy to be from CT.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

I’m shocked I hadn’t heard of this incredible story until this year.
What an amazing tribute it was.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Hillhouse grad, Harrison "Honey" Fitch entered Connecticut Agricultural College in 1932 before our university became Connecticut State College in 1933 and Huskies was adopted as Connecticut's / UConn's mascot in 1934.

Go Aggies!

 

[Chief00]

This made the game for me. What a historical significant story and to think it happened in 1932-1934. Wow! Honey Fitch definitely deserves to be on The Wall.
In particular, let’s remember the U.S. Coast Guard Academy was a government run service academy and they wanted to boycott Honey Fitch from playing. While further improvements are necessary, we have come a long ways.
The lesson here is if something is wrong, don’t be afraid to take a stand against it, regardless of the direction of the winds at the time.
Thank you UConn for recognizing this historic figure.

 

[CL82]

Me and my family got to hang out with Brooks Fitch today and he’s a great guy. The whole family was so joyful and positive. Great to recognize them.

He seems like it.

 

[CL82]

Here’s the thing that I really didn’t understand. If Coast Guard was refusing to play, why would that have been a forfeit for Connecticut?

 

[uconnfan68]

Here’s the thing that I really didn’t understand. If Coast Guard was refusing to play, why would that have been a forfeit for Connecticut?

Use your 1932 moral compass, and you’ll figure that out.

 

[CL82]

Use your 1932 moral compass, and you’ll figure that out.

Yeah, I can’t come up with any possible rational for it. Especially in Connecticut in 1932.

 

[Chief00]

Bouknight gets the boot gets 18k views, Honey Fitch 1k views. A sad commentary on where we are today.

 

[J187Money]

That was great - an unexpected surprise. Some history that I definitely didn't know.

 

[jdb50]

People need to know how in WWI with black Americans wanting to help with the USA's entrance to the war, there was a debate inside the armed service as to whether it was smart to let them serve in combat roles as they would be shooting white people (the enemy/Germans). This resulted in the black soldiers being put into behind the front support duties except for some units who the French were happy to have serve at the front lines and those soldiers served with bravery and distinction. Fast forward to 1932 and it is right in line with military thinking to have a problem such as occurred for Fitch at the Coast Guard Academy. The US Army had many in the officer corps from the South (and of course some from the North as well) who really resisted integration in the Army but it finally occurred during the Korean War. The black soldiers who served in WWI came home to Jim Crow, segregation and horrific incidents like Tulsa and others like it. It is why Doc Rivers made the statement he made after George Floyd about love of country and why the country does not love them back. Honey Fitch's son was amazing in his speech.