The annual NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Social Media Campaign first launched in 2018, in partnership with the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee and the National Student-Athlete Advisory Committees, to use social media to create a dialogue around diversity and inclusion and communicate the benefit of inclusive environments in college sports. Follow Marist Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for posts throughout the week.
2022 Campaign Days and Themes
Day 1 (Tuesday, Oct. 18):Â "Exploring My Identities":Â exploring student-athletes' intersectional identities, perspectives and experiences.
- On Day 1 of the campaign (Tuesday, Oct. 18), the focus is on student-athletes' intersectional identities and experiences that represent who they are as individuals. The term "intersectionality" was coined in 1989 by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and legal scholar. It is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination and disadvantage." Student-athletes and those who teach and lead them hold multiple identities simultaneously.
- The purpose of this day is for students to showcase who they are and how they use their voices and platforms to make a difference in their communities. What identities and experiences shape their voice? How have they used their platforms to show they are more than just an athlete? How have they empowered others to use their voice and platform, particularly when it comes to diversity and inclusion?
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Day 2 (Wednesday, Oct. 19): "Allyship is…": defining and highlighting personal examples of allyship to cultivate communities of belonging within athletics.
- On Day 2 of the campaign (Wednesday, Oct. 19), the focus is on allyship and cultivating communities of belonging to create inclusive environments. Allyship is defined as "an active, consistent and arduous practice of unlearning and reevaluating, in which a person in a position of privilege and power seeks to operate in solidarity with a marginalized group" (Anti-Oppression Network).
- On the second day of the campaign, we encourage student-athletes to share what allyship looks and feels like to them and ways they have practiced their allyship. How have they fostered communities of belonging within their teams and athletics communities? How have they supported their teammates through intentional action and active allyship?Â
Day 3 (Thursday, Oct. 20):Â "Strength in Unity":Â outlining collective and institutional action steps for fostering belonging and inclusive excellence.
- On Day 3 of the campaign (Thursday, Oct. 20), we highlight the importance of community and action in driving diversity and inclusion efforts. From the COVID-19 pandemic to an increased focus on racial and social justice, mental health and wellness and gender equity, the last few years have shown us that the communities of which we are a part can be our biggest strength and source of support.
- On the last day of the campaign, we call on campaign participants to showcase the strengths of their respective campus or conference community, with a particular focus on how diversity and inclusion enrich these communities.Â
