History 276: Sports in American History explores the role of sports in American culture. Bruce Eelman, Ph.D., professor of history, also uses the course to address the social and political impact of sports in society. To make it personal for his Saints this semester, he recruited former standout Siena student athletes to share their perspective on the curriculum, including opinions on diversity in sports, specifically racial and gender barriers. The event, hosted in partnership with Siena Athletics, was held over Zoom and open to all students and employees. Click HERE to watch the event.
Panelists:
Prosper Karangwa '03, basketball, Vice President for Player Personnel with the Philadelphia 76ers (played professionally for eight seasons in including stints in Germany, Austria, and France)
Tay Fisher '08, basketball, Founder of Tay Fisher Basketball (played 10 seasons with the Harlem Globetrotters)
Tehresa Massena '15 (above), basketball, Vice President of Corporate Relationship Management for The Ayco Company (three-year captain and Siena's all-time career leader in steals)
Danielle DeLisio '15, lacrosse, Founder of Infinity Mental Performance (her goals against average ranks among the top three in Siena program history)
"I think it's human nature to fight for change. I think it's human nature to fight for justice. And for student athletes, it's no different for them. They're in the same boat as everyone else. As humans, we want to fight for change and we want to see justice work."
Prosper Karangwa '03
"Athletes have always been told to just shut up and play your sport and shut up and dribble. And now athletes are realizing they have this platform and you're able to stand up for what you believe is most important."
Danielle DeLisio '15
"I'm hoping these athletes can continue to use their platform, and I'm hoping that we can all just come to an agreement on how we can make this world and ourselves better."
Tay Fisher '08
"The fact that pay for women's soccer hasn't been increased to make it more fair is surprising, but we're getting there because the conversation is happening. And I feel like that's the only way we'll see change is if people continue to speak up about it."
Tehresa Massena '15
