Well the thing is, I wasn't alive in those days but I had a grandparent who was alive and faced that turmoil. Rupp doesn't have anything I need to forgive...he didn't cause any suffering...he just wasn't the man he needed to be at the time he was alive. Although you cannot blame him for America's racist culture at the time, you also cannot forget the level of influence he had in the state.
And that generation...they don't sit around and blame Adolph Rupp for their problems. They blame the government who sat by and let the things happen. They blame the police that were supposed to protect them, yet looked the other way. Rupp was just a basketball coach...who like most in that generation...had views that are thankfully now on the wrong side of history.
He was the best coach during his time...he was the leader in wins when he retired and for most of his era he had the most national titles....he didn't want things to change...but that's who often overlooks the need for change the most...the comfortable. It's hard to see how things can be bad for other people when things are so good for yourself
His legacy can be debated...it's probably somewhere in the middle of both sides. He did have Dr. Naismith as a mentor, who was noted for his anti-segregationist views. The administration at Kentucky did in fact tell Bear Bryant "NO" when he asked to integrate the football team. But at the same time...he did refuse to recruit black players longer than most and you've heard the stories....so you cannot discount those things. Also, Nat Northington broke the SEC color barrier at Kentucky in 1967...so you can see Rupp still had waited too long
Rupp died almost 20 years before I was born..I never met him and no one reading this post probably did either. No one really knows that content of his heart, but the fact is he could and should have done more. If he didn't want this part of his legacy debated, he should've made the right choice sooner. Now UK's history is complicated...Rupp's refusal to make a stand hurts....but Nate Northington breaking the SEC color barrier, the efforts of Joe B Hall and CM Newton to bring changes......led to in my lifetime seeing Kentucky have AA head coaches in football and basketball...with 1 winning a title.
I don't think you know how proud it was in 2010 on Labor Day weekend for so many in this state with all the history(grandparent is an AA Louisville fan, me a UK fan)...having Charlie Strong and Joker Phillips face off as head coaches. Player recruitment of AA's is now commonplace...but head coach and exec representation is very low....and credit to UK and UofL for making the hire they wanted and not worrying about race. (Although Joker was a disaster. lol) With all the hate in our rivalry....that game in 2010 goes underrated as a positive place in the Red/Blue hate fest we all live and breate.