Washington State University Athletics
Black Student-Athlete Association Receives WSU MLK Program Awards
March 04, 2021 | WSU Athletics, Cougar Athletic Fund, Student-Athlete Development
PULLMAN, Wash. - The Washington State University Black Student-Athlete Association (BSAA) earned the Community, Equity, and Social Justice and Distinguished Service Awards from the WSU Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished Service Award Committee, the organization announced, Wednesday, March 3.
"On behalf of WSU BSAA, I am incredibly grateful for the awards we are receiving," said Kelis Barton, soccer student-athlete and president of the BSAA. "It is a true reminder that our hard work in building the community and education for our black student-athletes and staff is not going unnoticed, even through these trying times. BSAA has become such an important piece of my life and I cannot wait to see what the future has in-store for the group!"
The Community, Equity, and Social Justice award recognizes the significant contribution, time and effort of Washington State University community members towards advancing an inclusive climate for excellence in activism, advocating, teaching, research, public service and academic endeavors. Â
The Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual or group from the entire Washington State University community who has made an extraordinary contribution toward continuing the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Â
"I am beyond proud of the accomplishments of the student-athlete leaders of the Black Student-Athlete Association," said Shelby McKay, WSU Assistant Director of Athletics, Student-Athlete Development. "Their leadership, monthly programs, and focus on social change is making a difference within the WSU community. The community space they built has not only strengthened relationships in and amongst student-athletes, but contributed to increasing inclusivity through education."
Founded by student-athletes, the BSAA is a student-athlete driven organization established in 2019 after several student-athletes returned to campus following attendance at the Black Student-Athlete Summit in Austin, Texas, in January, 2019. Their vision was to provide a safe space for Black-identified student-athletes to gather, offer mutual support, and participate in open discussion, with the goal of creating a closer connection to the athletic department.
In its first year, the BSAA dedicated countless hours to planning and successfully hosting several well-received and engaging events. Furthermore, the importance of BSAA's work was highlighted during the summer of 2020 and, because the group had already established a close connection with the student-athlete body, they were able to organize quickly to provide additional resources to student-athletes and staff in response to events happening throughout the country. During this time, BSAA hosted two open forums and one invited speaker event, all of which drew attendance of 100-150+ student-athletes, staff, and members of the campus community.Â
During the summer and fall of 2020, BSAA continued to realize much success with their meetings and programming, despite the shift to the virtual environment, including 30 hours of executive board meetings and 15 hours of programming and events. Over 60 student-athletes representing 12 sports attended BSAA meetings and events during this time, despite a semester with excess time online and the stress of the global pandemic
"It has been inspiring to see first-hand all the impactful work the leadership of the Black Student-Athlete Association is doing," Derrick Mitchell, Coordinator, Student-Athlete Development and Wellbeing said. "I am proud of the group's accomplishments and it goes to show all the time and effort is paying off. I am honored to work with this great group of student-athlete leaders helping to create lasting change and build a strong legacy. The journey has been transformational for the WSU community and I'm excited for what the future holds." Â
"Through their leadership hard work and dedication these students have made an incredible impact on our athletic department," WSU Director of Athletics Pat Chun said in the nomination video for the awards. "I, like many in this athletic department, are proud of the extraordinary work done by these students. We are blessed to have these student-athletes as part of our Washington State family."
The MLK Program is Washington State University's annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and legacy. For more information about the program, please visit mlk.wsu.edu.
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"On behalf of WSU BSAA, I am incredibly grateful for the awards we are receiving," said Kelis Barton, soccer student-athlete and president of the BSAA. "It is a true reminder that our hard work in building the community and education for our black student-athletes and staff is not going unnoticed, even through these trying times. BSAA has become such an important piece of my life and I cannot wait to see what the future has in-store for the group!"
The Community, Equity, and Social Justice award recognizes the significant contribution, time and effort of Washington State University community members towards advancing an inclusive climate for excellence in activism, advocating, teaching, research, public service and academic endeavors. Â
The Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual or group from the entire Washington State University community who has made an extraordinary contribution toward continuing the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Â
"I am beyond proud of the accomplishments of the student-athlete leaders of the Black Student-Athlete Association," said Shelby McKay, WSU Assistant Director of Athletics, Student-Athlete Development. "Their leadership, monthly programs, and focus on social change is making a difference within the WSU community. The community space they built has not only strengthened relationships in and amongst student-athletes, but contributed to increasing inclusivity through education."
Founded by student-athletes, the BSAA is a student-athlete driven organization established in 2019 after several student-athletes returned to campus following attendance at the Black Student-Athlete Summit in Austin, Texas, in January, 2019. Their vision was to provide a safe space for Black-identified student-athletes to gather, offer mutual support, and participate in open discussion, with the goal of creating a closer connection to the athletic department.
In its first year, the BSAA dedicated countless hours to planning and successfully hosting several well-received and engaging events. Furthermore, the importance of BSAA's work was highlighted during the summer of 2020 and, because the group had already established a close connection with the student-athlete body, they were able to organize quickly to provide additional resources to student-athletes and staff in response to events happening throughout the country. During this time, BSAA hosted two open forums and one invited speaker event, all of which drew attendance of 100-150+ student-athletes, staff, and members of the campus community.Â
During the summer and fall of 2020, BSAA continued to realize much success with their meetings and programming, despite the shift to the virtual environment, including 30 hours of executive board meetings and 15 hours of programming and events. Over 60 student-athletes representing 12 sports attended BSAA meetings and events during this time, despite a semester with excess time online and the stress of the global pandemic
"It has been inspiring to see first-hand all the impactful work the leadership of the Black Student-Athlete Association is doing," Derrick Mitchell, Coordinator, Student-Athlete Development and Wellbeing said. "I am proud of the group's accomplishments and it goes to show all the time and effort is paying off. I am honored to work with this great group of student-athlete leaders helping to create lasting change and build a strong legacy. The journey has been transformational for the WSU community and I'm excited for what the future holds." Â
"Through their leadership hard work and dedication these students have made an incredible impact on our athletic department," WSU Director of Athletics Pat Chun said in the nomination video for the awards. "I, like many in this athletic department, are proud of the extraordinary work done by these students. We are blessed to have these student-athletes as part of our Washington State family."
The MLK Program is Washington State University's annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and legacy. For more information about the program, please visit mlk.wsu.edu.
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