Hofstra Athletics hosts third Race and Equity Forum
By Kristan Bravo
Hofstra University student-athletes are continuing the conversation surrounding systemic racism in the hope of fostering change in their locker rooms and across campus. Close to 120 staff and student-athletes gathered via Zoom on Oct. 28 for a Race and Equity Forum held by the athletic department’s diversity and inclusion committee.
Alyssa Morales Kelly, senior associate director of athletics for compliance, diversity and inclusion, said the forum was designed for student-athletes to learn, open up and understand the different perspectives of their peers.
“It’s our goal to create an atmosphere in which everyone feels comfortable in the environment that they’re in and sharing their ideas,” Kelly said.
Student-athletes were divided into breakout rooms with a moderator from the committee to discuss why acknowledging privilege is important. Kasey Collins, of Hofstra softball, said her fellow student-athletes came to Hofstra to pursue similar athletic and academic goals, but they might have had different opportunities to get there.
“The ability to take an SAT is a privilege to some of us,” Collins said. “Just because I was able to score well, that might be because I had that book or that tutor. A kid down the block in a different school might not have the same resources and therefore I had a better shot in the long run.”
Kayla Stadeker, of the cross-country and track teams, acknowledged that privilege comes in forms other than white privilege.
“I’m from Atlanta and I live better than most people who look like me where I’m from,” Stadecker said. “I went to private school all my life. I have two parents that graduated from college. I have privileges that others who look like me don’t necessarily have.”
Eric Klein, athletic facilities coordinator and forum moderator, said college student-athletes have the opportunity to meet people from various backgrounds and learn from them.
“Sports can open up different perspectives,” Klein said. “Somebody might grow up in a more segregated part of the country than others. Going to different schools and seeing other perspectives is a good opportunity within athletics.”
The forum illustrated this point by presenting a video from Vox, which shows how segregation is prevalent across the country. The moderators discussed how athletic teams are diverse, like the workplaces shown in the video. However, when the workday is over, people often return to segregated spaces. One of the goals is for student-athletes to engage with diverse communities when they leave their own “workplace,” whether that be the softball field or basketball court.
Ricky Kerins, director of ticket sales and operations, facilitated one of the breakout sessions. He prompted the student-athletes to discuss how they can have healthy conversations and better understand peers of different backgrounds.
“When you get into these conversations, you want to make it a human rights conversation and not a political conversation,” Kerins said. “You don’t want to meet it with confrontation.”
Collins agreed, saying she loves her teammates for the people that they are, not the people they are voting for.
“I think where the line is drawn is showing character and respect,” Collins said. “Being a good person — that goes a long way.”
This race and equity forum was the third of the semester, combined with other initiatives planned by the athletics diversity and inclusion committee.
Student-athletes have pledged to “commit to a safe and welcoming environment in all Hofstra Athletics locker rooms” (gohofstra.com). When sports competitions resume at the end of November, Hofstra uniforms and warm-up shirts will feature “No Locker for Racism” patches to showcase this campaign.
