#BigWestCares - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The Big West Conference shares the outrage and frustration of the nation following the events over the past few months. Unifying behind the principles of decency, humanity and equality as well as looking deeply within ourselves is the way to leave a lasting legacy of change within our American culture.
The Conference is committed to the safety and well-being of its student-athletes and university communities and stands with them all to foster an environment of freedom, inclusion and diversity. We will continue to support initiatives toward that end and celebrate the right of all individuals across our institutions to live without fear.
Together we can commit to rid the world of injustice and work towards a world we can be proud to leave for future generations.
Moving Forward...
Along with a variety of town hall and round table discussions our members have begun to implement, below are serveral other ways are student-athletes and coaches are taking steps to help make a change.
For a select group of Aggies, the 2019 Black Student-Athlete Summit was a valuable and unique experience, rich with discussion on a variety of topics, including racism, media portrayals, academic issues and social activism. The summit also exposed a need: UC Davis student-athletes of color did not have a similar organization at home. The eye-opening nature of the BSAS was, in fact, by design. Under the guidance of senior associate athletics director. Under the guidance of senior associate athletics director Mike Lorenzen and his student-athlete outcomes office, several SARGs (student-athlete resource groups) had already surfaced. Athlete Guidance & Support provides resources regarding mental wellness, while Athlete Ally supports the LGBTQIA community. A similar space for black student-athletes would be a welcome addition.
FULL STORY
Hoping to bring awareness and change to the Santa Barbara community, the UCSB men's basketball team has made a public service announcement related to the Black Lives Matter discussion. Appearing in the video are Gauchos players and coaches as well as high-profile community members such as Santa Barbara Police Chief Lori Luhnow, current NBA player Kyle Korver and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member Jamaal Wilkes. The team came together after George Floyd was killed and the Gauchos talked about the racial injustices that many of the players had experienced in the past.