Civil rights group to honor NCAA for mascot policy

TULSA — A Tulsa civil rights group opposed to Indian mascots will honor the National Collegiate Athletic Association at an awards banquet Saturday in Tulsa.

Bernard Franklin, NCAA senior vice president of governance and membership, will accept the sports leadership award from the Tulsa Indian Coalition Against Racism, organized in 2002 to protest the Redskins mascot used by Tulsa's Union High School.

Under an NCAA rule that took effect in February, member colleges and universities cannot display Indian-themed mascots, nicknames or symbols in postseason games.

The decision also prohibits schools with Indian mascots from hosting future NCAA postseason events.

The coalition's second annual awards banquet, "Winds of Change," begins at 6:30 p.m. in the B.S. Roberts Room in North Hall at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa, 700 N Greenwood.

Other honorees include David Narcomey, director of the Oklahoma Indian Alliance, and JoKay Dowell of the Eagle and Condor Indigenous Peoples' Alliance, male and female advocate awards; Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre, D-Tulsa, legislative leadership award; Hugh Foley, associate professor at Rogers State University, media advocacy award; Sarah Mae Martin of Broken Arrow, youth in action award; and Assistant District Attorney Sean Malloy of Tulsa, community justice award.

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