NORFOLK, Va., June 11, 2020—The Florida A&M University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) SAAC Presidents held a virtual symposium on racial inequality and mental health for student-athletes on Wednesday afternoon.
The symposium began with remarks from Kortne Gosha, Florida A&M Vice President and Director of Athletics, and MEAC Senior Associate Commissioner Sonja Stills. Morgan Mitchell, FAMU and MEAC SAAC President, then held a discussion with the other institutions’ SAAC presidents in the first hour.
Four guest speakers then joined the symposium, beginning with De’Jeune’ Green, Coordinator of Student-Athlete Enrichment and Mental Training Specialist at the University of New Orleans. Barra Madden, a medical student at Southern Illinois University, also participated.
“We need change,” she told the symposium, “and it begins with us standing up for change.”
The symposium concluded with three police officers from Durham, N.C. – Robert Gaddy, Andrew Crumbley and Rashaud Trice – speaking to the body and taking questions.
In total, 84 people took part in the symposium.
“With everything going on and different outlets giving different sources of information,” Mitchell said, “I feel like this symposium is a great way to hear about how your student officials feel on the subject and how they are taking steps toward bettering the experience for their student-athletes, especially when it comes to their mental health. I’m so excited about tonight and hope we are able to use this as a way to make a difference in the fight toward change.”
The purpose of the MEAC SAAC is to foster a unified forum, which provides equal and representative dialogue from MEAC student-athletes relating to NCAA and Conference legislation, as well as other issues that affect their welfare. Further, this committee strives to maintain a positive environment that cultivates a healthy relationship between the athletics administrators and the student-athletes.
The Committee is dedicated to maintaining a positive commitment to support and value diversity and equity among student-athletes.
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) recently concluded its 49th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2019-20 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of 11 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State University.