A group of Black, Indigenous and Persons of Colour (BIPOC) and ally student-athletes and staff have come together as the Diversity and Anti-Racism Council (D.A.R.C.) at 91原创鈥檚 Trinity Western University.
鈥淚t was a really inspiring group of students,鈥� said TWU鈥檚 Cheryl Jean-Paul.
鈥淭hey were very vulnerable; they came from a place of love, even though they were talking about some difficult circumstances and experiences that they鈥檝e had with racism. We were able to really come together and provide education for their peers, and an opportunity for them to speak.鈥�
The start of D.A.R.C. came from an annual coaches conference, the Spartan Sports Leadership Superconference, held on October 23, 2020.
In preparation for the event, Jeff Gamache, TWU鈥檚 Director of Athletics, had asked Jean-Paul to head up a diversity panel.
Jean-Paul said, 鈥淲e reached out to all the coaches to say that we鈥檙e thinking of putting together this panel of student-athletes to speak on their experiences with issues around racism and diversity, to consider, 鈥榃hat is diversity? What does that look like on our campus, and within our athletics department?鈥欌�� The group met on a Zoom call to introduce each other, and the conversation took off.
鈥淎fter the superconference, it became evident to me that these students needed an outlet to continue to share their experiences and their thoughts,鈥� Jean-Paul said. 鈥淭hey were so gracious in how they spoke, and I felt that this is something we could continue beyond the superconference.鈥�
The first group of students who came together attracted other like-minded supporters. 鈥淲e decided to start something within our athletics department and just reached out to staff and coaches, from a BIPOC perspective and also from an ally perspective.鈥�
Since last fall, the group, now named D.A.R.C., has met four or five times via Zoom, and Jean-Paul has noticed some positive effects.
鈥淒uring COVID (pandemic), we鈥檝e been talking a lot about the mental health of our student athletes,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think when it comes to being able to share your story, it鈥檚 just so healthy for athletes to be able to have a safe space to talk about their experiences (of ) being someone of colour 鈥� both challenging and positive experiences.鈥�
READ ALSO: How Black History Month was celebrated for the first time by a 91原创 school
Jean-Paul is head coach of women鈥檚 basketball for Trinity Western Spartans and president of women鈥檚 basketball in the Canada West Conference. When she began first her role at TWU in 2010, Jean-Paul was one of the first Black female head coaches in U SPORTS basketball history.
Tips from Jean-Paul on how to foster diversity within your workplace, organization or community:
1. It requires collective will or desire. 鈥淭here needs to be a desire among people within the group. What we鈥檝e been experiencing is that if people don鈥檛 want to participate鈥hat it鈥檚 actually worse, because it鈥檚 just discouraging. There needs to be someone or a group of people who really want to fuel this.鈥�
2. Seek out the counsel of others. 鈥淭here are a lot of resources out there. For larger organizations there are companies and consultants that can help them improve what diversity looks like within their organization.鈥� Beyond simply relying on one or two of our personal contacts who are Black, there are definitely some professional companies and consultants out there that can improve a work space to allow more diversity.鈥�
3. Be humble and open-minded. 鈥淲e all have something to learn from each other. I don鈥檛 come from a place where I know all things about even my own community, and I definitely don鈥檛 know everything about everybody else鈥檚 community. It鈥檚 really coming into every meeting and every call with an open mind and open heart, knowing that I鈥檓 likely going to learn something about myself, and I鈥檒l learn something about other people as well.鈥�
Have a story tip? Email: news@langleyadvancetimes.com
Like us on and follow us on .
