As we honor the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King on this federal holiday in his name, the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference is proud to announce the creation of a conference-wide working group to address issues of anti-racism and social justice.
The purpose of the working group, comprised of representatives from all nine AMCC members, is to provide guidance on resources and strategies that will promote intentional, coordinated anti-racism and social justice initiatives within the conference and across member institutions.
“Our goal is to make a systemic impact on the way we conduct intercollegiate athletics,” said AMCC Commissioner Donna Ledwin. “To quote Kenya Hobbes, one of our working members, ‘We are not trying to boil the ocean.’ Rather, we are looking for ways to make a long-term difference in our everyday operations that might include short-term actions but also by really examine “the way we do business” across some specific functional areas. Only once we do that that can we more intentionally address racism and injustice within our everyday world.”
The working group’s plan was unanimously endorsed by the Presidents Council. Members of the working group will be divided among six subcommittees each with a primary action focus:
Education: Creating personal and professional development opportunities for both student-athletes and athletic department staff
Communication: Examining the ways in which the conference and member institutions frame their messaging and promotions
Student-Athlete Welfare & Empowerment: Actively seeking and encouraging student-athlete involvement to better serve their needs and interests
Recruiting & Retention: Valuing the inclusion of both student-athletes and staff in creating, expanding and maintaining a diverse community
Community Service & Civic Engagement: Making connections that are both transactional and transformational on multiple levels
Health & Safety: Recognizing the importance of a multicultural approach in addressing both physical and mental health
Working group members will be assisted by coaches, athletic directors, senior woman administrators and faculty athletics representatives who volunteered to serve from among the AMCC membership. Click here for a complete list of working group and subcommittee members.
The working group will spend the spring semester establishing goals and compiling resources and strategies. The Administrative Management Council and Presidents Council will review the proposed plan at their May meetings, with implementation planned for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years.
“As our Presidents Council has stated, institutional racism permeates all aspects of American life. Higher education and sports are not immune,” said Ledwin. “This is going to take a team approach. The more we can share ideas and strategies and resources across members, the more we are willing to have difficult conversations, the better we can be in promoting anti-racism, equity and inclusion as educators through athletics.”