Photo by: Al Sermeno - KLC fotos
NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Campaign: A Chat with Chiara Tibbitt
October 27, 2020 | General, Women's Basketball, Bloom Family Leadership Initiative
This week marks the third annual NCAA Diversity & Inclusion social media campaign, which will take place Oct. 27-29. The three-day campaign celebrates student-athletes' identities and experiences, showcases support in fostering inclusive environments, and highlights action steps for collaboration and inclusive excellence.
As part of day one's theme, "My Story Matters," we spoke with Chiara Tibbitt, a junior on the women's' basketball team, who opens up about her experiences, helping create the Student-Athletes of Color group, and what she looks forward to these next few years on Comm Ave.
You grew up in Central New Jersey. What were some of your early experiences regarding diversity and inclusion?
Where I live there are many different cultures, races, religions and ethnicities represented. I was surrounded by people with different accents and appearances constantly. I never really noticed the difference in people's appearances until around middle school, when I was told I couldn't have my hair in braids though I didn't see or hear other students getting talked to about their hair. Playing soccer and basketball for my town there were so many different people on the field and court and no one was talking about race. I never felt like the minority where I lived, only at my predominantly white Catholic Middle School did I ever feel prejudice or even a reason to bring up race to defend myself.
How did you overcome those prejudices or experiences in middle school and throughout high school?
In middle school, I overcame prejudices by realizing my own worth and not basing it off of my surroundings. Then in high school where there was a more diverse community, I felt empowered to share my experiences because of the support around me. Having a space where people looked like me and shared similar experiences helped me feel more comfortable and that is when I wanted to speak up.
Were there any mentors who impacted your life early on?
Definitely some of my teachers and also my mother and sister, who encourage me to speak my mind and never stay silent. In high school I was a part of another very diverse community where we constantly had forums and discussions on current events and had spaces to share all views across the spectrum represented. I knew I needed to speak up and also listen to my peers to gain their respect. I think that the environment that my high school provided me helped me to develop my voice even more.
Coming to BU in 2018 as a freshman, what was it like adjusting to living in a new city and demographic?
Honestly, at first, I didn't think it was going to be much different from home since Boston is a city, but I was very wrong. I like living in a city because of the ability to walk wherever you want, and the grocery store is a few blocks this way and a pharmacy is a few blocks the other way, I love this part. I had a large culture shock here, when in most settings I was the only Black person in the room, and I was expected to just be comfortable with that right from the start. I had gone from having Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Indian, African, and white classmates to being the only Black person in the room or even POC (person of color). I had never been so hyper-aware of my race as I was my freshman year. Not seeing anyone that looks like you on your dorm floor or in your lecture hall was difficult and therefore I isolated myself even more. When I would walk back to my dorm or ride the bus back from class at night, I would find myself uncomfortable and even scared when large groups of only White men were walking around me. I feared that they may say something or do something, I had seen many scenarios of this at PWIs (predominantly white institutions) on the news and I didn't want it to happen to me. I was uncomfortable around a lot of people my freshman year and I also wasn't able to create time in my schedule to go to the Howard Thurman Center or join other groups that involved Black students, which made me feel further isolated from my campus and those who looked like me. My senior spring of high school I had the opportunity to attend Multicultural Community Weekend at BU, where I met other POC students who were thinking of attending BU, but once I started school there wasn't any time to follow up.
Now that you're a junior, have your feelings changed at all?
As a junior, I manage my time better, but I have not been able to follow up with a lot of the people I met. The ability to meet through Zoom is definitely a benefit to attend more panels, but there are still time barriers that make it hard to really engage during meetings hosted by the HTC. On the other side though, this makes SAOC even more valuable because of athletes' time commitments. I feel better about my environment now than I did freshman year because I have met more people and created friendships with other athletes and students in my classes.
You've been open about the process of finding your voice and utilizing it for change, which has been displayed in forming SAOC and currently serving as President. Can you describe that journey?
I still get nervous to speak up in Zoom calls but doing it so often now has made it easier for me to be myself on camera and in person and being transparent without a front helps me connect better with people even if it is virtually. Speaking up is the best way some of my peers can understand the situation for Black people at BU and in the U.S. Though it is taxing and emotionally draining, I felt supported by my coach and teammates to speak up during our athletic forums this summer and really express how I've felt, and I think that only had a positive impact for us as a community.
SAOC was a group that needed to be formed especially at a PWI, because creating a safe space for athletes to speak is necessary for improvement. As I said, my freshman year was not the best, and I thought that other minority student-athletes may be feeling similarly or have similar experiences. I felt we needed a space where we could vent to each other about our experiences on campus, create community, and become a support system. We went from a small group of people showing interest last winter, to a group of around 10 people helping over the summer, to now having a fully elected executive board and meetings with 50 to 60 people this fall, and a desire to grow the group even more. Now we are able to create dialogue with each other and share how one another is doing during our meetings this fall.
What are the conversations and initiatives SAOC is working on this year?
We are working to have conversations around different topics such as combating racism within our athletic department, why there is a lack of access that leads to predominantly white sports, making spaces more comfortable, and making BU Athletics more inclusive. We want to also work on mental health and address the extra drain there is on student-athletes of color every day. Especially in this time of the pandemic, mental health is at the forefront and things start to stack up, so we need to help keep each other afloat.
Eventually, we want to do events for every heritage and history month, such as Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Asian Pacific-American Heritage Month. We have built in time at the end of our meetings to have mini discussions on race, politics, how we use our platforms for spreading information, and how to combat fatigue in a new world of constant news flashes and recordings. We also want to do educational movie showings with discussions afterward. Recently, we created a fun trivia game and introduced the executive board as a fun light meeting so that we could all relax for a half an hour and have a space of community. It has truly been enjoyable to plan events and listen to people's ideas. I'm extremely excited for the future of the group.
You are also the treasurer of SAAC, what has that experience been like?
Yes, it's been a great experience. Having a seat at the table is always nice. I think it also has been special because there is more flexibility in meeting more frequently because of the use of virtual calls. We as an executive board have all become a bit more creative in planning events for our fellow student-athletes and fun virtual events as well. I have gotten to bring up ideas as well as learn from my peers what they are doing, and learn more about how their teams are dealing with the new restrictions and staying connected and inspired. I am so happy to serve on the executive board and to help our athletic department become even better.
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of how far BUSAOC has come in a short time. We consistently have around 50 members join our biweekly calls, when our first meeting had just a few people. I really feel that there is a great community of people being built of allies and athletes of color understanding each other. I spent a lot of time working with some of my peers this summer on creating the infrastructure of the group, as well as working on our social media, getting it started up in the beginning of June. Seeing the positive feedback to the account and my hard work developing visuals for the account really made me proud and eager to get back on campus so that we could have the meetings we're having today!
Looking ahead, what do you hope the future of BU and the athletic department will be surrounding diversity and inclusion?
I hope for training in antiracism, testing of implicit bias, requiring courses from non-white professors on race relations, and the expansion of BUSAOC to alumni. Including alumni in our pursuit to diversify and encourage change will help our athletic program become as welcoming as possible to people of all different backgrounds. I think we have a really outstanding program already and it can only get better. I am sure other athletes have also felt supported by our coaches, staff, and administrators throughout these trying times of social injustice within America. Knowing that we are already supported I am excited to see real change within our department. Ensuring that everyone has a seat at the table to represent their own needs will also be important. I am hopeful of the future of BU and the athletic department because there are so many committed people to the cause and there is adequate support in order to actually make progress and further promote diversity and inclusion.
As part of day one's theme, "My Story Matters," we spoke with Chiara Tibbitt, a junior on the women's' basketball team, who opens up about her experiences, helping create the Student-Athletes of Color group, and what she looks forward to these next few years on Comm Ave.
You grew up in Central New Jersey. What were some of your early experiences regarding diversity and inclusion?
Where I live there are many different cultures, races, religions and ethnicities represented. I was surrounded by people with different accents and appearances constantly. I never really noticed the difference in people's appearances until around middle school, when I was told I couldn't have my hair in braids though I didn't see or hear other students getting talked to about their hair. Playing soccer and basketball for my town there were so many different people on the field and court and no one was talking about race. I never felt like the minority where I lived, only at my predominantly white Catholic Middle School did I ever feel prejudice or even a reason to bring up race to defend myself.
How did you overcome those prejudices or experiences in middle school and throughout high school?
In middle school, I overcame prejudices by realizing my own worth and not basing it off of my surroundings. Then in high school where there was a more diverse community, I felt empowered to share my experiences because of the support around me. Having a space where people looked like me and shared similar experiences helped me feel more comfortable and that is when I wanted to speak up.
Were there any mentors who impacted your life early on?
Definitely some of my teachers and also my mother and sister, who encourage me to speak my mind and never stay silent. In high school I was a part of another very diverse community where we constantly had forums and discussions on current events and had spaces to share all views across the spectrum represented. I knew I needed to speak up and also listen to my peers to gain their respect. I think that the environment that my high school provided me helped me to develop my voice even more.
Coming to BU in 2018 as a freshman, what was it like adjusting to living in a new city and demographic?
Honestly, at first, I didn't think it was going to be much different from home since Boston is a city, but I was very wrong. I like living in a city because of the ability to walk wherever you want, and the grocery store is a few blocks this way and a pharmacy is a few blocks the other way, I love this part. I had a large culture shock here, when in most settings I was the only Black person in the room, and I was expected to just be comfortable with that right from the start. I had gone from having Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Indian, African, and white classmates to being the only Black person in the room or even POC (person of color). I had never been so hyper-aware of my race as I was my freshman year. Not seeing anyone that looks like you on your dorm floor or in your lecture hall was difficult and therefore I isolated myself even more. When I would walk back to my dorm or ride the bus back from class at night, I would find myself uncomfortable and even scared when large groups of only White men were walking around me. I feared that they may say something or do something, I had seen many scenarios of this at PWIs (predominantly white institutions) on the news and I didn't want it to happen to me. I was uncomfortable around a lot of people my freshman year and I also wasn't able to create time in my schedule to go to the Howard Thurman Center or join other groups that involved Black students, which made me feel further isolated from my campus and those who looked like me. My senior spring of high school I had the opportunity to attend Multicultural Community Weekend at BU, where I met other POC students who were thinking of attending BU, but once I started school there wasn't any time to follow up.
Now that you're a junior, have your feelings changed at all?
As a junior, I manage my time better, but I have not been able to follow up with a lot of the people I met. The ability to meet through Zoom is definitely a benefit to attend more panels, but there are still time barriers that make it hard to really engage during meetings hosted by the HTC. On the other side though, this makes SAOC even more valuable because of athletes' time commitments. I feel better about my environment now than I did freshman year because I have met more people and created friendships with other athletes and students in my classes.
You've been open about the process of finding your voice and utilizing it for change, which has been displayed in forming SAOC and currently serving as President. Can you describe that journey?
I still get nervous to speak up in Zoom calls but doing it so often now has made it easier for me to be myself on camera and in person and being transparent without a front helps me connect better with people even if it is virtually. Speaking up is the best way some of my peers can understand the situation for Black people at BU and in the U.S. Though it is taxing and emotionally draining, I felt supported by my coach and teammates to speak up during our athletic forums this summer and really express how I've felt, and I think that only had a positive impact for us as a community.
SAOC was a group that needed to be formed especially at a PWI, because creating a safe space for athletes to speak is necessary for improvement. As I said, my freshman year was not the best, and I thought that other minority student-athletes may be feeling similarly or have similar experiences. I felt we needed a space where we could vent to each other about our experiences on campus, create community, and become a support system. We went from a small group of people showing interest last winter, to a group of around 10 people helping over the summer, to now having a fully elected executive board and meetings with 50 to 60 people this fall, and a desire to grow the group even more. Now we are able to create dialogue with each other and share how one another is doing during our meetings this fall.
What are the conversations and initiatives SAOC is working on this year?
We are working to have conversations around different topics such as combating racism within our athletic department, why there is a lack of access that leads to predominantly white sports, making spaces more comfortable, and making BU Athletics more inclusive. We want to also work on mental health and address the extra drain there is on student-athletes of color every day. Especially in this time of the pandemic, mental health is at the forefront and things start to stack up, so we need to help keep each other afloat.
Eventually, we want to do events for every heritage and history month, such as Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Asian Pacific-American Heritage Month. We have built in time at the end of our meetings to have mini discussions on race, politics, how we use our platforms for spreading information, and how to combat fatigue in a new world of constant news flashes and recordings. We also want to do educational movie showings with discussions afterward. Recently, we created a fun trivia game and introduced the executive board as a fun light meeting so that we could all relax for a half an hour and have a space of community. It has truly been enjoyable to plan events and listen to people's ideas. I'm extremely excited for the future of the group.
You are also the treasurer of SAAC, what has that experience been like?
Yes, it's been a great experience. Having a seat at the table is always nice. I think it also has been special because there is more flexibility in meeting more frequently because of the use of virtual calls. We as an executive board have all become a bit more creative in planning events for our fellow student-athletes and fun virtual events as well. I have gotten to bring up ideas as well as learn from my peers what they are doing, and learn more about how their teams are dealing with the new restrictions and staying connected and inspired. I am so happy to serve on the executive board and to help our athletic department become even better.
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of how far BUSAOC has come in a short time. We consistently have around 50 members join our biweekly calls, when our first meeting had just a few people. I really feel that there is a great community of people being built of allies and athletes of color understanding each other. I spent a lot of time working with some of my peers this summer on creating the infrastructure of the group, as well as working on our social media, getting it started up in the beginning of June. Seeing the positive feedback to the account and my hard work developing visuals for the account really made me proud and eager to get back on campus so that we could have the meetings we're having today!
Looking ahead, what do you hope the future of BU and the athletic department will be surrounding diversity and inclusion?
I hope for training in antiracism, testing of implicit bias, requiring courses from non-white professors on race relations, and the expansion of BUSAOC to alumni. Including alumni in our pursuit to diversify and encourage change will help our athletic program become as welcoming as possible to people of all different backgrounds. I think we have a really outstanding program already and it can only get better. I am sure other athletes have also felt supported by our coaches, staff, and administrators throughout these trying times of social injustice within America. Knowing that we are already supported I am excited to see real change within our department. Ensuring that everyone has a seat at the table to represent their own needs will also be important. I am hopeful of the future of BU and the athletic department because there are so many committed people to the cause and there is adequate support in order to actually make progress and further promote diversity and inclusion.
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