Members of the Marquette and Georgetown men's basketball teams pose with officials prior to Saturday's contest.
BIG EAST Honors Martin Luther King Jr., Continues #BEinclusive Campaign
NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference put together a fully integrated approach to recognize the incomparable impact that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made in his quest for national unity and social justice, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the day of service coinciding with Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday, Jan. 20.
On Monday, the league released a dedication video on all social media platforms. The video originally aired on FOX broadcast on Friday.
Continued recognition came in the form of basketball shooting shirts and social promotion. Additionally, schools joined in to celebrate the civil rights leader’s life and legacy by participating in service recognition, making Monday a “Day on, not a Day Off.”
Players Recognize Martin Luther King Jr.
- The BIG EAST Digital Network compiled a video compilation of men’s and women’s student-athletes speaking about Dr. King’s lasting legacy. The student-athletes also stressed the importance of inclusion, diversity and equality across BIG EAST campuses. The video debuted during FOX Sports Network’s broadcast on Friday and aired on all BEDN broadcasts.
- Watch Now.
“We Cannot Walk Alone”
- During the games preceding Monday’s holiday, men’s and women’s basketball players from all 10 member institutions wore shooting shirts with the words “We Cannot Walk Alone” from the historic “I have a Dream Speech,” that Dr. King delivered on August 23, 1963, in Washington, D.C.
- Shirts were worn in all games played on Saturday and Sunday, including the non-league tilt between Villanova and Connecticut. The Huskies also participated. View photos here.
- The BIG EAST’s warmup shirts reflect the conference’s pledge to develop programming and initiatives that support diverse and inclusive environments across its member school campuses for student-athletes, coaches, staff and communities.
- In addition to the shirts, the message was displayed on videoboards in arena and on social media tagged with the conference’s #BEinclusive hashtag.
#BEinclusive: Diversity and Inclusion
- The BIG EAST’s effort to recognize the Martin Luther King Jr., holiday reflects the conference’s pledge to develop programming and initiatives that support diverse and inclusive environments across its member school campuses for student-athletes, coaches, staff and communities.
- The conference’s Diversity and Inclusion statement is shared by all 10 member institutions during an in-game PA message and videoboard graphic.
- In 2019, BIG EAST formed a conference-wide Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, which was tasked with creating a strategic diversity, inclusion and equity roadmap for the conference’s institutions. The roadmap’s pillars, which were unanimously approved by BIG EAST Presidents in December, include education/programming, awareness campaigns, and hiring best practices. The working group has representatives from all 10 BIG EAST schools, including student-athletes.
- The BIG EAST Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has also created a Diversity and Inclusion Officer position to assist conference staff in creating opportunities for student-athletes from different backgrounds to come together and help shape future conference initiatives. The current SAAC D&I Officer is DePaul track athlete Rutendo Chimbaru.
National Day of Service:
- Georgetown University partnered with The Kennedy Center for the annual Let Freedom Ring! Concert, a celebration honoring the spirit and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Georgetown will present the 18th Annual John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award to Sandra Jackson, executive director of House of Ruth.
- For the 13th consecutive year, Villanova University and the surrounding community registered volunteers to go out into the community to work on service projects with the mission to improve lives, bridge social barriers, and move our nation closer to the "Beloved Community" that Dr. King envisioned.