Annual Reid/Robeson Classic Tournament Held at Westbury High School

Each year in honor of Black History Month, the Westbury Union Free School District hosts the annual Reid/Robeson Classic Tournament, recognizing two men—Martin Reid and Paul Robeson, for their respective contributions to the African American community.

“The Reid/Robeson Classic is a tournament that Martin ‘Bunky’ Reid created in 1986 to pay tribute to Black History Month, the Westbury community, and Paul Robeson, a civil rights leader Reid greatly admired,” said Coach Keith Moody. “The tournament also provides an opportunity to promote athletic scholarships.”

Attendants at the 36th annual classic, held on Saturday, February 4, at Westbury High School, watched as the Westbury Green Dragons Boys’ Junior Varsity and Boys’ Varsity basketball teams went head to head with the Roslyn High School Bulldogs in two close matchups. The Girls’ Varsity team faced off against East Meadow School District’s Clarke High School Rams. Following the completion of all three games, a scholar from each team was awarded for their stellar grade-point average and for demonstrating athletic excellence.

The three Westbury athletes honored were:

· Boys’ JV Basketball: Andy Sedme – Westbury High School (9th grade)

· Girls’ Varsity Basketball: Ghavena Dorce – Westbury High School (11th grade)

· Boys’ Varsity Basketball: Jordan Basnight – Westbury High School (12th grade)

“Martin Reid was a man among men, a leader among leaders, a hero to all youth in our community, and was a person whose dedication and commitment to education has been and will continue to be, an inspiration to all who came in contact with this unique and inspirational man,” said Coach Moody.

In 1979, Reid became the Westbury Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach, leading his team to a Nassau County and a New York State title and numerous league championships and playoff berths. He was widely respected among his fellow coaches for his exceptional coaching ability and the way his teams conducted themselves on and off the court, leaving a unique stamp on the lives of innumerable people. For this reason, in 1994, Westbury High School added his name to the basketball classic he created in 1986.

Paul Robeson, the other individual honored during the tournament, was an impassioned leader who campaigned for social justice years before the advent of the Civil Rights Movement championed by the great Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. On top of his commitment to creating a more equitable society, Robeson

was also a great actor, singer, scholar and all-around athlete. Westbury honors Paul Robeson because of what he was, what he means to the District, and what we, as people, can be. He was the possessor of the ultimate body and the ultimate mind.

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