Manhattan Women’s Basketball Earns Rawlings Community Spotlight Honors
Manhattan Women’s Basketball Earns Rawlings Community Spotlight Honors
EDISON, N.J. (Nov. 5, 2020) – The Rawlings Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Community Spotlight is a weekly feature of those giving back in an effort to make a difference in their communities. This week, the MAAC highlights Manhattan College women’s basketball.
On Monday, Oct. 19, the Jaspers hosted an on-campus candlelight vigil dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement and those who have lost their lives to racism and violence. The event was sponsored by several cross-campus partners, including Manhattan’s Black Student Union, the Office of Diversity and Equity, the Political Science Department, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Student Engagement and Jaspers Vote, a new committee focused on voter education at the College.
"Our team has been talking together frequently about social justice and how to use our platform to help fight and spread awareness to systematic racism," said senior center Courtney Warley, who also serves on the MAAC SAAC Social Justice Subcommittee. "We decided that holding a vigil would not only honor the overwhelming number of victims who have lost their lives to this oppression and police brutality, but would also be a way for the campus to come together."
Throughout the vigil, which was open to the entire campus community, speakers recognized victims with a moment of silence and the reading of their names. Participants also gave speeches of solidarity and shared experiences, with an eye toward inspiring change.
"With Manhattan College being a Lasallian Campus, it is crucial to uphold core values, such as: concern for the poor and social justice, respect for all persons, and creating an inclusive community," said graduate forward Pamela Miceus. "This event allowed the students of Manhattan College to use their voices and be advocates for change during a time of social unrest, and generate action on campus to create an inclusive community, more so than we have seen in the past."
The Black Lives Matter vigil was another social initiative in a list of several that the Manhattan women's basketball program has taken on since the summer. In June, the student-athletes released a video of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Two months later, the program became Manhattan's first team to earn 100 percent voter registration among its eligible student-athletes. The team is also heavily involved in the MAAC United for Justice initiative, which launched in August.
"Holding events such as this one is important because it not only raises awareness across the world about police brutality, systemic racism and injustice, but it is also a way to empower black lives and all people of color within our community," said senior guard Lizahya Morgan. "It's more than just saying, 'I'm not racist.' Everyone must fight to be actively anti-racist. It's going to be a long fight, but we must spark awareness and work toward a change now for a better tomorrow."
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) celebrates its 40
th year of competition during the 2020-21 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.