ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Cedar Crest College's Department of Athletics has prepared and established the Falcon Athletics Action Plan for Anti-Racism and Inclusion. To find the action plan on our website, hover over the 'Inside Athletics' tab and find the 'Falcon Athletics Action Plan for Anti-Racism and Inclusion' link. 

https://cedarcrestathletics.com/sports/2020/8/21/falcon-athletics-action-plan-for-anti-racism-and-inclusion.aspx

We have been silent for too long. The Cedar Crest College Department of Athletics vehemently condemns racism and stands in support of and with our black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) student-athletes, coaches, students, staff, faculty, alumnae, fans, and community, as a whole. As a Falcon Family we must stand together. The Cedar Crest College Department of Athletics affirms equality and inclusion— echoing the sentiments of President Meade, "We must listen to the Black community, but understand that it is OUR job, not theirs, to educate ourselves about the roots of racism and how to support anti-racist activism. We must stand up and march forward with a plan of action to become an institution that embodies at every level what we say we stand for."

Many in our community, especially our BIPOC student-athletes, coaches, and staff, are hurting and tired. We can see that racism and systematic oppression continue to endanger the bodies, minds, and spirits of Black people and harm people of color. With pride, we stand up with and in support of all marginalized communities.

The Cedar Crest College Department of Athletics is committing to these values that will help guide the work. We will listen. We will fully listen to one another's thoughts and feelings, so we, as a community, can step into action. We will promote a brave space for hard conversations and encourage our community to talk and actively listen. We will learn. We will educate ourselves and each other on the BIPOC experience through literature, film, and research. We will read, discuss, and learn more about systematic oppression and how we can get involved in actively dismantling racism. We will take action. Over the course of the next year we commit to taking the action steps below. Additionally, as time progresses we are committed to reevaluating and continuing to build on these action steps.

In the coming year, with staff members, the Department of Athletics pledges to:
    1. Create a colleague resource group to create an intentional space of support and community.
    2. Create a departmental staff committee that will serve as an implementation team. This committee will focus on developing and implementing systemic changes.
    3. Host monthly staff meetings centered around the discussion of diversity, equity, and antiracism. We will have an all-departmental read or research topic each month that we will discuss at         every meeting.
    4. Review and update the following departmental areas, so they reflect our emphasis on diversity, equity, and antiracism.
        a. Review each team's current curriculum. 
        b. Review each team's rules and regulations.
        c. Review each team's recruiting processes. 
        d. Review staff professional development opportunities and departmental student-athlete development programming.
    5. Ensure staff members stay current with Cedar Crest College's diversity modules and make attendance at these modules a formalized topic during the annual staff evaluation period.

In the coming year, with student-athletes, the Department of Athletics pledges to:
    1. Hold a preseason meeting with all student-athletes to open up a space to facilitate conversations to discuss current events. To expand on this initial meeting, we will work with the Student         Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) to coordinate other opportunities throughout the year.
    2. Create a diversity and inclusion subcommittee within SAAC as the first step toward creating a student-athlete BIPOC organization.
    3. Actively educate our student-athletes on the electoral process and its significance. This will involve hosting student-athlete focused voter registration drives and making all practice related         activities optional for student-athletes on Election Day (November 3, 2020).

We recognize that there is work to do; we have work to do. This is a movement not a moment, and with open minds and open hearts we are standing up and marching forward. As a community we will unite and empower one another, because in athletics we win together. The fight against systematic oppression and racism is certainly no different. We are all in this together. We are committed to being a pillar of support and mechanism for societal change. We will be a part of the solution.