Six University Athletic Association (UAA) student-athletes attended the 2024 Black Student-Athlete Summit hosted by University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, California in late May. The UAA sent three leaders of institutional Black student-athlete groups, while Emory University sent three of its student-athletes.
The UAA was represented by University of Chicago Black Letterwinning Athlete Coalition (BLAC) President Ivvy Hicks, University of Rochester Black Student-Athlete Coalition (BSAC) President Raquel Williams, and Washington University BLAC President Charis Riebe. Emory sent graduate student and former men’s basketball student-athlete JJ Halaby and current men’s basketball teammates Ben Pearce and Tyson Thomas.
Being in a Black Student-Athlete Space
“It was so refreshing to be in that space. It was the Blackest space I was ever in during college. When WU BLAC brings people together, it is maybe 20-25 people. This was a big community,” remarked Riebe, who co-founded UAA BLAC and served as co-president in 2023-24. “Having that kind of exclusive space as an athlete would be great, but to be in a space where everyone was an athlete and Black, there is an understanding of what we all face.”
Emory Coordinator of Student-Athlete Success Programs Tristan Reaves and now Senior Project Support Specialist Audrey Hester played an important role in encouraging Emory Black student-athletes to attend the summit. Reaves is no stranger to the event as he was a speaker at the 2019 summit in Austin, Texas. “I remember that there was a very refreshing energy being around other people who looked like me, spoke like me, and were using their athletics career to pursue careers in sports,” recalled Reaves, who was unable to attend this year because of family obligations, but plans to attend again next year. “For someone like me who played football, I would see other Black athletes in team meetings and on the field, but going to the summit exposed me to other sports and athletes in all divisions.”
“The summit was community like no other,” expressed Pearce, who has also attended the TNT Sports U.S. ENGAGE Summit, Black Sports Business Symposium, and NIL Summit this summer in addition to receiving a 2024 Cast Iron Media Fellowship in collaboration with Sports Biz Careers. “We are not usually in exclusive athlete spaces; much less being surrounded by 1,500 Black athletes.”
The Black Student-Athlete Summit
The goal of the summit is to empower Black student-athletes to maximize their college experience in their sport, in the classroom, and to “not leave any meat on the bone” in terms of opportunities. Professional staff who attend the summit are empowered to go back to their campuses and create innovative initiatives to ensure that Black student-athletes are competitive in the global workforce upon graduation.
This year marked the ninth year of the annual four-day conference that brings together more than 1,500 student-athletes, university professionals, and industry leaders. Dr. Leonard Moore, the George Littlefield Professor of American History at the University of Texas at Austin.
“We were very specific from the beginning about our audience. The Black experience is so unique and that is who we cater to, Black student-athletes. Some athletic directors were nervous from afar when we first started the summit, but we have ended up having great support across the country,” explained Moore, who has his PhD from The Ohio State University and has cherished working with students throughout his career. “I have been a professor for 26 years, but the summit is my love.”
This year’s summit featured a variety of speakers, including two-time NBA all-star Baron Davis, ESPN host and former WNBA player Chiney Ogwumike, 2020 Summer Olympics silver medalist in the 400-meter relay and community activist Teahna Daniels, and Morgan Stanley Managing Director of Global Sports & Entertainment Sandra Richards among others. One of the highlights of the conference is Pro Day, where 90 Black former student-athletes in high-profile positions share their experiences with current student-athletes.
The Pro Day and career panels were popular with the UAA student-athletes. “All three of us (from Emory) attended the sports agent panel by Klutch Sports Group since we are interested in being sports agents. There were a series of questions answered in detail. I usually struggle to ‘lock in’ for long periods of time, but I had no trouble with that panel,” Thomas acknowledged. “The Pro Day sessions were all very informative and were filled with good questions and answers. I gained a lot of insights from what they said and was able to ask questions myself. They genuinely wanted to help and see others succeed.”
The summit, which began with a focus on administrators the first couple of years, quickly made the shift to student-centered with a focus on student-athlete well-being and substantial discussions about post-athletic careers. “The last two or three years, we have really drilled down on how the athletics part of most student-athlete’s careers will be over after graduation,” described Moore, who used an example of a women’s Division III athlete to show how the competitive drive is similar across divisions. “If she is a starting midfielder or forward who scores a lot of goals, she can’t just leave Case Western Reserve University being the star soccer player and just go get a job in some corporate office in a cubicle. We must find something that is just as exciting for her and brings that competitive edge into the workplace. That may mean taking a first job working for the Cavs (NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers) to keep some level of status in something that matters to her.”
“There were professionals in various fields – doctors, lawyers, sports agents, marketers, and business leaders – who had all been student-athletes. We made so many connections,” Williams stated. “There was a Bay Area woman who worked in civil rights law and now works in sports law. These are the types of connections you don’t always have access to or have Black professionals supporting you in this way.”
Connections Within and Outside the UAA
Although the three women (Riebe, Williams, and Hicks) knew each other beforehand, they had not spent a lot of time together and none of Emory men knew any of them. They connected quickly and easily, and even spent time together after the conference ended at the home of Eagles’ men’s basketball student-athlete Albert Fallas.
“We ate nearly every meal together and then when the three of us (he, Pearce, and Thomas) went to Albert’s house for a few days, the women came over and hung out. It was great to be able to talk about our shared experiences at predominantly white Division III institutions and in the UAA,” Thomas stated. “We have specific experiences that not many people can understand or have gone through.”
Hicks was due to go back to Chicago after the conference but stayed an extra day to spend more time with her UAA friends. “We bonded and built strong relationships. Having a sense of what is going on at other schools and representing the UAA strengthened the bond,” she described. “Our whole group was very special, and we were in awe of how well we connected. We had so much fun, became close friends, and are trying to figure out when we can see one another again.”
Each of the UAA student-athletes spoke about the ease of connecting with others at the predominantly Division I conference, regardless of division. “A lot of Division I athletes learned a lot about us and our commitment. We are all student-athletes who dedicate heavy amounts of time to our sport,” commented Williams, who will serve as president or co-president of UAA BLAC in 2024-25.
“It was so inspiring to see that many Black student-athletes trying to do more within their spaces. Everybody was there to learn and take something back to their schools. The networking aspect is what I will bring back. I met so many different people from so many different areas of the country,” Halaby commented. “Everybody was willing to give up their information, whether they were other students or speakers. It was powerful to see people who look like you talk about their experiences and how they accomplished the same things we are looking to do in our own lives.”
Understanding Black Student-Athlete Experiences
“There were times in the larger sessions where I was thinking, ‘I wish everyone could hear this,’ for those who don’t understand what we go through as Black student-athletes and what I am upset about when I am,” Williams explained. “We talked about not feeling seen and what that means. All Black people feel that and a lot of D3 athletes feel that. We are not marketed or advertised, but we are still performing for the schools we represent. People need to understand the impact of not prioritizing our safety and well-being as Black student-athletes. I learned a lot of vernaculars that I was not aware of that made a difference. Students need words to define how they are feeling, and professionals need to use those words to describe how student-athletes feel.”
One of the things that stood out for Riebe from the summit was the concept that it is the responsibility of professionals to initiate the conversations to create safe spaces and to cultivate those opportunities. “A professional who does this work emphasized that it is professionals, and not those most affected, who have the responsibility to make spaces available and provide the resources and support to help the space flourish and allow it to be created in a way that benefits the target community. We don’t always know what we can do or what resources are available. If you genuinely want to hear people’s stories and learn about their experiences, you will create those safe spaces,” she pointed out. “It is important for Black student-athletes to speak truth in a safe space. I know my own story and how I got to where I am today. Instead of having that space where we can lead and develop something that will last, we often spend our time trying to prove why we even need a space instead of leadership stepping up to provide it.”
Several of the UAA attendees talked about discussions around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) bans across the country and what role Black student-athletes can play in raising awareness even if they don’t think it directly impacts them, depending on what state they are in. “One of my biggest takeaways, especially in a time of DEI bans, is the importance of students and student-athletes to express how valuable DEI and DEI spaces are for us. We learned a lot more about the anti-DEI bills and what that means even for private schools,” Pearce remarked. “We learned how to better understand the impact we can have on our schools and our community, how we can better come together.”
“There were panels that focused on how we can use being an athlete to impact different issues on our campuses. With the restrictive laws and people doing DEI work getting laid off, it is important that we use our identity and platform to speak out against these things and make a difference wherever we can,” Thomas added.
Translating Personal Growth into Transformational Change
“There were talks about impostor syndrome and we were given tools for resilience. Those are things we can practice individually and educate other people about the importance of gratitude, identity, and self-affirmation,” Riebe commented. “There was a talk on racial fatigue and how, as Black people, we often feel undeserving of rest. It is tough to create a space where people can just be themselves, without feeling like they are carrying the weight of the Black race on their backs. We cannot pour out if we are not poured into. We need to find spaces to rest and recharge, finding those who can build us up and discovering ways to pour into one another.”
Williams was particularly impacted by the discussion addressing racial fatigue. “That was very personal to me. People were describing exactly how I feel, what I am carrying on my back, and why I hold it in and don’t talk about it at times,” she articulated. “We learned the importance of not letting ourselves get burned out if we are called to help other people. It is critical to monitor how we approach situations and to delegate to others.”
Williams further learned how to share with others and how to go further than good intentions. “Mindfulness is the next step beyond intentionality and that includes thinking about all aspects of my identity. It is not always about words and sometimes is more about what is not said,” she explained. “Be mindful of me, how things may make me feel and how I am moving through a space. Be mindful of Black people and Black spaces.”
The Importance of the UAA Presence
“Having UAA student-athletes attending the conference is a big opportunity to show who the UAA is and portray the athletic and academic excellence of each school. It is like the Ivy League of Division III,” Halaby expressed. “There are opportunities for our schools to grow in this space and be leaders, not just in Division III, but across all divisions. This is a place where a lot of Black student-athletes come together to meet and learn from each other.”
“Being leaders at our schools already, I think we (UAA student-athletes) were already like-minded about what we wanted out of the summit. You can always gain more by being open-minded and we all came with a similar mindset that we were there to learn and bring what we learned back to our schools,” Hicks stated. “I have been able to share what I learned with our incoming BLAC president (Kyle James) and connect him to UAA people.”
“There were a lot of Division I schools there and a lot of ‘Power Five’ schools. It was crazy to see that when you walk in with your Emory gear on, but it wasn’t about where you went to school or what division you belonged to. It was all about creating connections with people,” Thomas communicated. “We had so many great conversations representing our schools and the UAA. There were a lot of smaller schools there too. We were all there to create a community and a network that will remain throughout our professional careers. The more people the UAA can send out, the more the conference can benefit from networking across all divisions.”
“One of the great things about the summit is I didn’t feel different, nor was I treated differently, for being a Division III athlete. Our experiences and interests are similar and there is a lot of common ground we can relate on,” Pearce described. “This is a chance to get our schools on the map in places they wouldn’t normally be. Division I athletes were especially shocked by the UAA travel and the different locations of our schools. It was a chance to get our schools’ names and the UAA name out there and bridge that gap between divisions. People know Emory medicine, but not Emory as a successful sports school. If you never enter these spaces, people will never know.”
When Reaves spoke at the conference previously, he spoke to administrators and coaches on how to better reach their student-athletes. “Most of the feedback from current student-athletes said that we hit the nail on the head with our approach to connecting with student-athletes. I knew it was important for our Emory athletes to have the opportunity to attend the conference and create relationships with other Black student-athletes that will last forever on a different level,” he explained.
Uplifting Black Student-Athletes as Current Students and Alums
The six UAA attendees consisted of two rising juniors (Pearce and Thomas), one rising senior (Williams), two seniors (Riebe and Hicks), and one graduate student (Halaby). Each stressed how important a role they have going forward.
“There were a lot of seniors at the summit, which included a senior-only event. It is a combination of professional networking opportunities and how to navigate spaces as a student-athlete,” Pearce stated. “The best part was all the great connections we made, hearing about others’ experiences and sharing our own. I plan to reconnect with the people I met there.”
Williams, though a junior at this year’s summit, stressed the importance of not only undergraduates, but also seniors attending. “People like (rising seniors) Geoff (PointDuJour, Emory Black Student-Athlete Group president and co-founder) and I have built and fostered these groups. Alumni relations are so important, and all organizations benefit from being a bridge between current and former student-athletes. As alums move into their graduate programs or professional careers, they can help current student-athletes get jobs, learn skills to help get a job, or how to find a mentor,” she explained. “An alum builds a different network and can connect current student-athletes to others. An alum has a different standing with the university and no longer has playing time connected to their comments or relationships. As an alum, I will have more skills to talk to current student-athletes.”
“The biggest thing in the future is having a network and a community there for you regardless of your field. You may need a lawyer, doctor, or engineer in your life. By creating this community and these connections, you are setting up a better future for Black student-athletes past and present,” Thomas enunciated.
“The networking aspect is what I can bring back to Emory,” Halaby stated. “I met so many different people and had the chance to bounce ideas off so many different people. As an alum, I can be a voice for the younger Black student-athletes, particularly those who are trying to pursue a career in the sports industry.”
“There are several things you leave the conference with. We are better individuals after attending the summit. If it is better for students and alums, it is better for the university. Being in spaces like these brings respect for you as a student-athlete or alum and for the institution and conference you are representing,” Pearce summarized.