Champions of Change: The RISE Podcast

Katrina Adams shares her experience after testing positive for COVID-19, and talks about the impact the global pandemic is having on the tennis world. Adams was the youngest, the first African-American and the first former professional player to serve as President of the United States Tennis Association. She's currently Vice President of the International Tennis Federation. We discuss her groundbreaking career, experiences with racism, the legacy of tennis players like Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe driving social change and her efforts to make the game more inclusive and promote racial and gender equity.

RISE VP of Curriculum Dr. Andrew Mac Intosh discusses issues of racism that have arose out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how sports serve as an effective tool for understanding important concepts such as perspective taking and stereotyping that are critical in the midst of this crisis. Plus, RISE Manager of Events & Marketing Peyton Finley shares her story from working at the Pac-12 Men's Basketball Championships in Las Vegas as the sports world suddenly shut down.

How is diversity and inclusion defined? How can students, athletes and university athletics departments lead their campus community in advancing those values? That was the subject of this critical conversation moderated by RISE CEO Diahann Billings-Burford at Stony Brook University on Feb. 12, as part of the America East Conference #SpreadRespect initiative. This edited live recording features: Maya Brown, a Stony Brook student and assistant editor at the university’s student-run newspaper, The Statesman; Kimberly Joy Dixon, Stony Brook’s Director of Employer Engagement and Diversity Recruitment; Cameron Avery, a Stony Brook international cross-country student-athlete; TJ Morrison, a Stony Brook football student-athlete and member of the Black Student-Athlete Huddle, and Diamond Weaver, a Stony Brook Assistant Football Coach.

Sharing more from our coverage at Super Bowl LIV in Miami, we speak with New York Jets running back Ty Montgomery (1:43), Minnesota Vikings defensive back Trae Waynes (14:22) and Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Jessie Bates III (24:09). They each share stories about the complexities of their identities, the way they use their platforms to create change and their experience addressing issues of race on the field, in the locker room and beyond the game. Ty talks about his work supporting foster children and shares how Aaron Rogers played an important role in how the Green Bay Packers responded to the movement of on-field player protests for social injustice and the criticism that athletes faced for those actions. Trae talks about his passions for Animal Rights and Civic Engagement, and shares a personal experience with racial profiling. Jessie talks about his biracial identity and how he uses his platform to empower youth and support single moms.

Jim Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers and N. Jeremi Duru, a professor of sports law at American University and Counsel to the Fritz Pollard Alliance, discuss the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which is designed to create more coaching and executive leadership opportunities for minorities. We discuss the rule's evolution and effectiveness addressing larger issues of bias and systemic racism, and explore what more can be done to increase inclusive leadership across the league and beyond. Plus, with the nation focused on addressing racism following the murder of George Floyd, we assess how leagues and teams have responded to calls for more action and engagement in tackling these critical issues.