Mercy Athletes Moving Conversations Forward On Social Justice

As the news of George Floyd’s murder exploded across the country, Mercy supported its community in processing the grief and anger generated by his death. In a letter to the Mercy community, President Tim Hall wrote: “So long as racism exists, it stains the promise of equal opportunity under the law… I invite [Mercy’s] various members, whether students or staff or faculty, to renew our commitment to justice and equality.”

The effect was galvanizing. Some student-athletes found themselves expressing their frustrations regarding systemic racism during their regular Zoom meetings with coaches and mentors. In the safety of those talks, students who’d had little or no exposure to discrimination were able to recognize the need for change. By summer’s end, a new student group named Mavericks Standing Together (MST) had formed because of these conversations. Their goal: to join forces with other campus groups and begin the work of combating systemic racism.

The students’ eagerness to take action to address the issue of racism came as no surprise to some. Director of Athletics Matt Kilcullen, Jr. said, “There is great power in students leading the way for change, and some of our student-athletes are natural leaders that other students want to rally around.”

To read more of this article in the Spring 2021 Maverick Magazine click here.