WASHINGTON – Over 150 student-athletes, coaches and staff from American University Athletics have signed up to take part in a new initiative – the Anti-Racism Education Collective. Senior Academic Counselor for Student-Athlete Development and Leadership Spencer Bonahoom has taken up the reins of creating the Collective, and will help guide the group going forward.
 
Sparked by the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others, AU's student-athletes and coaches have been using their platform to speak out in support of the fight against racism and social injustice. The Anti-Racism Education Collective puts action behind those words, and will go a long way toward the betterment of everyone involved.
 
"I'm really excited for the Collective to begin," said Bonahoom. "After the tragic events that showed the continued racial inequality in our country, I was proud and hopeful seeing our student-athletes speak up and share their voices. It's so important to give our student-athletes, coaches and staff a space to reflect, learn, and engage with each other so that the conversation continues into action in our department and in our community."
 
The mission of the Anti-Racism Collective is to provide an opportunity for education and awareness on racial inequality and other social justice issues, and to create engagement within the AU Athletics community for student-athletes, coaches and staff.
 
"Implementing the Anti-Racism Education Collective is critical for us to learn and move forward as a department," said Director of Athletics and Recreation Dr. Billy Walker. "I'm proud to have so many of our student-athletes, coaches and staff committing themselves to taking action.  We possess a steadfast moral obligation to care for everyone in our community and this collective will provide us a vehicle through which we can tackle the issues of racial inequality and social justice."
 
In groups of approximately 7-8, those participating will meet every three weeks, starting out with virtual meetings due to the coronavirus pandemic. Members will be digesting various articles, books and other media before discussing topics with their small groups.
 
The goals of the Anti-Racism Education Collective are as follows:

• To provide educational materials to promote individual learning about past and present racial inequalities and antiracism;
• To facilitate conversations about anti-racism to encourage engagement, growth and action on an individual and community level;
• To create a space for student-athletes, staff and coaches to share experiences and learn from one another.

Each small group will be organized by a facilitator, with those in charge of facilitating having signed up for that role. Facilitators have participated in training sessions to prepare them to guide conversations and lead the groups beyond discussion toward action. While the facilitator will be responsible for scheduling group meetings and asking questions to drive discussion, it will be everyone's responsibility to come ready to share their own experiences and learn from their groups. 
 
"As members of Undergraduate Education and Academic Student Services (UEAS), the Student-Athlete Support Program (SASP) team has been engaging in many conversations to ensure we are implementing anti-racist practices in our work and student services," said SASP Director Ashley Rozendaal. "The Collective was created to aim at meeting that anti-racist mission of UEAS and supporting the mission of AU Athletics. Our consultation with Amanda Taylor, AU's Assistant Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, helped shape the Collective and its mission moving forward." 

AU Athletics - Diversity, Equity & Inclusion