By Emma Laughlin
Recently, a new organization on Western New England University’s campus has been created: The Black Student-Athlete Alliance. With twelve founding members and under the administration of Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development, Jenn Kolins, and Athletic Director Matt LaBranche, the Black Student-Athlete Alliance (BSAA) is ready to make a serious impact on prospective and current students alike.
“The BSAA is a place where Black student-athletes are able to have their voices heard and contribute to making a difference in the Western New England community,” began founding member, McKinley Kearsley.
Kearsley and the eleven other founding members of the BSAA are students interested in diversity, equity, and inclusion. As the group was taking shape this past fall, the founding members had a great responsibility to be committed and engaged in finding ways to produce positive change on campus.
The founding members began by openly discussing their purpose and mission with administration, highlighting what their experiences have been as Black students at WNE.“Being a founding member, I feel I have the direct responsibility to represent the population of Black student-athletes & students whose voices tend to go unheard,” said founding member, Ippokratis Georgiadis.
The goals of the BSAA include empowering and centering Black voices, unequivocally stating that Black lives matter, creating a safe space to share voices and concerns, broadening diversity through intentional recruiting and hiring practices, and encouraging the continuous work that must be done to build an inclusive institution.
Jamaurie James describes the mission of the BSAA, “Being a founding member is simply an act of creation, hope, and prosperity. Together, we’ve created a place where Black student-athletes assemble with one goal in mind — change.”
The members of the BSAA have already made strides in changing the culture of the campus by amplifying the voices that make up the Athletic Department. In October, #NCAAinclusion and #togetherwerise circulated across WNE’s social media pages. These hashtags were part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Diversity and Inclusion campaign. The BSAA worked with Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) to provide content for this national campaign and were very excited to be recognized for their efforts as athletes.
Last month, the BSAA took social media by storm once again with the #blackhistoryalways campaign. Notably started during Black History month, the campaign was created to recognize Black student-athlete alumni, as well as the founding members of the BSAA.
“Many great Black athletes showed us that it was important to be leaders in our sports and in our communities,” said Damien Dangueuger. After receiving positive acclaim, the BSAA has decided to expand these efforts beyond February and will continually celebrate the contributions of former and current Black student-athletes.
“The reason I am honored to be a founding member of BSAA is that my voice will not only make an impact for my generation but will also make an impact for my children and their children,” said Ian Britt. “The hope is that one day they won’t have to experience what we’re currently experiencing today.”
A fellow founding member, Kevin Sharpe, agrees with Britt’s sentiments. “Though we may be momentarily taking small steps towards a better future, the impact later will be great. That’s all we could really ask for.”
The BSAA is working with SAAC and other student groups to expand collaboration and student involvement. Currently, the founding members are working to promote participation in the group and have already introduced additional members to the alliance.
Jerry Woodard shared his enthusiasm for the incoming members. “The BSAA is where not only my voice but other voices are heard. Together we are stronger and will impact and encourage others to be as well.”
As the group continues to become more established, so do their ideas. The members of the BSAA have begun brainstorming ideas for programming, such as a speaker series, workshops, and departmental anti-racism training. The group said, “We hope to bring people on campus together and help them understand what our group and other groups on campus are all about. We want to continue to celebrate differences, highlight Black-owned businesses, and learn more about their stories.”
The group is committed to creating more content and programming in time for the spring, as well as longer-term projects and action plans. Some of their first initiatives can be seen at their Unity event during national DIII week in April.
The alliance is adamant about ensuring that their vision and mission is seen in all their programming, noting, “With these events, we hope to not only spread awareness of the BSAA, but also remind people that there is still discrimination and inequality in America that can’t be ignored.”
Richard Watson rephrased, “A dream is a dream, but it cannot be complete until you and other people believe.” Richard and the rest of the BSAA encourage members of the Western New England community to create similar groups on campus that reinforce diversity and inclusion. The BSAA shows our community that there is strength in numbers.
“The discrimination and inequality in America are too big for one person, so coming together as student-athletes helps us bring awareness to these problems not only on campus but within each of our sports teams,” the group wrote. “It really comes down to believing that there are no limits to what a small group of dedicated and passionate people can do to help make the world a better place.”
Darius Grant of the BSAA said it best: We wish the BSAA success in all their current and future endeavors, as they “leave a lasting legacy on WNE forever.”
