One Jackson State coach is not pleased with one of “60 Minutes‘” latest segments. The show went to Boulder, Colorado to profile Colorado football coach Deion Sanders. It was the second time the show has profiled the Pro Football Hall of Famer within the past year. Last year, the show followed him around at Jackson State.
When asked why he left JSU for Colorado, the host said Sanders alluded to his concerns about the institution not being forward-thinking enough. A response HBCU football fans weren’t elated about.
If Jackson State lacked forward thinking, it wouldn’t have offered Deion Sanders that head coaching job (a man with no head coaching collegiate experience) when absolutely nobody else would. https://t.co/4Scm73c4NB
— Booker G. Washington (@TendentiousG) September 18, 2023
At the halfway mark of the feature, “60 Minutes” showed b-roll of a home in Jackson, Mississippi.
Then, the next shot was the scenery of Boulder, Colorado.
“The distance between Jackson and Boulder is 1,000 miles,” Jon Wertheim said as the footage was shown. “And immeasurably further culturally. Sanders went from a city that is 83% Black to one that is 1% Black. From a place with a water crisis to the kind of hipster college town with a shop devoted to kites.”
Jackson State women’s basketball coach Tomekia Reed took exception to the piece’s portrayal of the city.
“@60Minutes y’all made Jackson, MS look horrible,” Reed posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “You should be ashamed of yourselves for showing the worst house you can find in America and making it like that describes us. I’m unsure if that abandoned house you showed is even in Jackson. #ThisisHome.”
She then posted photos of the JSU campus and tagged “60 Minutes.”
This is home @60Minutes #JacksonMS pic.twitter.com/peI8MZ33FI
— Coach Tomekia Reed (@CoachTReed) September 18, 2023
This is home @60Minutes pic.twitter.com/QKvvsaaua1
— Coach Tomekia Reed (@CoachTReed) September 18, 2023
MY CITY!!! #HomeTown #Jackson @60Minutes #BLESSED pic.twitter.com/68FuXY8ZPV
— Coach Tomekia Reed (@CoachTReed) September 18, 2023
Responding to other social media users, Reed clarified her issue with the feature wasn’t with Sanders.
“My post is not about Prime! So don’t start that,” Reed posted. “I am proud of his move, his opportunity and I cheer for them every game. He is showing that once an HBCU coach gets a chance, they can make it happen! My post is about how ’60 Minutes’ could have shown a better Jackson, MS.”
Colorado is off to a 3-0 start this season, while Jackson State is 2-2.
You can watch the full feature below.
