( ENSPIRE Sports) ABIS Event Honored College Coaches for Promoting Financial Literacy and Supporting Athletes
ENSPIRE Contributor: Kaitlyn Cruz
Who is leading the cause of promoting racial equity in college sports? Advancement of Blacks in Sports (ABIS), is a non-profit organization and a leading voice for racial equity in sports. They advocate for equity, inclusion, and social justice for Blacks in sports. Just last month, at their College Athlete Advancement Awards ceremony, they proudly recognized three notable university leaders in Baldwin, New York.
ABIS is devoted to providing financial education and tools for college students, including financial literacy and money-management strategies. The College Athlete Advancement Awards ceremony celebrated the tireless efforts of several university leaders who have championed the cause of generational wealth for collegiate athletes. Black college athletes make up a large percentage of student-athletes, who often come from low-income backgrounds. Yet these same athletes help to generate billions of dollars in revenue for huge and predominantly White institutions- without compensation.
For context, a study from the USC Race and Equity Center shows Black men were 2.4% of undergraduate students enrolled at 65 universities, but comprised 55% of football teams and 56% of men’s basketball teams on those campuses.
One article states, “From Supreme Court justices to members of Congress, many have argued that the NCAA’s longtime prohibition on athlete compensation produces an interracial wealth transfer from Black football and basketball players to White coaches, administrators, and athletes in other sports. A recent study estimates that Black athletes in the Power 5 conferences are losing approximately $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion a year”, increasing an existing wealth gap. However, notable individuals at these colleges are promoting financial literacy and fostering college athletes’ personal and financial growth.
The honorees at this year’s College Athlete Advancement Awards included:
Van Macon– assistant men’s basketball coach at St. John’s University. He showed an unwavering dedication to empowering young athletes on and off the court, by teaching them about financial independence- a topic often neglected or not spoken about in Black and Brown communities.
Danielle Santos Atkinson– head women’s basketball coach at Hofstra University. She showed exceptional leadership and mentorship in women’s sports. She has helped to instill important life skills into young athletes, which include handling financial responsibilities.
Umme Salim-Beasley– head gymnastics coach at Rutgers University, has shown commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in gymnastics. She’s been teaching athletes that they should be treated equally in all aspects, in and out of sports.
“These honorees have demonstrated outstanding leadership and advocacy,” said Tricia Messeroux, program manager for the Financial Coaching Program and ABIS board member. She continues, “All of them continue to contribute significantly to the advancement of racial, economic, and social justice within the world of collegiate sports–particularly as it relates to financial education and empowerment for their student-athletes.”
Gary Charles, the founder and CEO of ABIS, said, “Our mission at ABIS is to boldly advocate for a culture of equity and inclusion for Blacks in sports. We are honored to recognize these exceptional leaders who share our commitment and passion for financial equity for all athletes no matter culture or gender.”
ABIS continues to support racial equity in sports. They hope to inspire others to boldly advocate for economic justice and racial equity for Blacks in sports. Through their recognition of these college coaches, they are inspiring others to support financial literacy and racial equity. The College Athlete Advancement Awards was a gathering of diverse sports professionals, advocates, and supporters who seek a positive change in the world of sports. To learn more about ABIS, please visit www.weareabis.org.
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