The St. Thomas Athletic Department has rolled out a program that will expose student athletes to the history of racism in the United States, while educating athletes about how to promote equitable environments for all.

The program, titled “Becoming Human: Dismantling Racism,” will be required for all incoming student-athletes next fall. Senior Associate Athletic Director Jemal Griffin has worked within the athletics department to raise awareness for this initiative.

“These programs are good for everyone, regardless of who you are,” Griffin said. “Regardless of whether you play a sport, regardless of what you do.”

The online program consists of six modules and covers a variety of topics, all dealing with the history and effects of racism in the United States.

“What these modules do is dig deeper into each topic and explains exactly how it could have created some systematic racism in our country,” Griffin said. “It’s not what you get in your normal middle school (or) high school class, and that’s been eye opening for a lot of people.”

Several staff members and sports teams at St. Thomas have been through the modules already, Griffin said. One of the teams that has completed the modules is the women’s basketball team, led by Coach Ruth Sinn.

Sinn said that the team had been talking about social issues since last May, and when Griffin inquired about having the team participate in the program, she agreed.

“One of the big things of us as educators in this college setting is to give our student athletes an opportunity to express themselves,” Sinn said, “To understand what’s going on, and to just have those communications.”

Kaia Porter and Macy Hatlestad, both seniors on the basketball team, have completed the Becoming Human Program.

“It’s so full of information that honestly everyone should know,” Porter said.

Hatlestad expressed the importance of the modules, especially after the murder of George Floyd by former police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis last May.

“Having these events take place right down the road really hits home for all of us,” Hatlestad said. “There’s not that many people that are just going to bring up this conversation willingly, because it’s difficult. It’s uncomfortable.”

Sinn said that student athletes are leaders in our community, and have the responsibility to move and affect change.

“They’re called upon to bring up these conversations, to have these conversations, and be in a forum where everybody can feel that they are heard and listened to in a place of understanding,” Sinn said.

Owen Larson can be reached at lars6521@stthomas.edu.