As Athletes for Hope (AFH) spent February celebrating the contributions and positive impacts of African American trailblazers, we partnered with our AFH University Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) athletic departments, asking high schoolers in their communities to share a story of an African American that has been an inspiration to them.
The outpouring of submissions from students was incredible. We are honored to share with you the story of the winner of our AFH Black History Month Essay Contest from Scotlandville Magnet High School.
Meet The Winner
The standout winner from the Southern University community was track & field state champion, Madyson.
On March 4, Madyson was recognized for her essay at the Southern University vs. Alabama A&M basketball game. While she was unable to attend due to a track meet, she was visited by AFH Program Manager, Kenya warren-Hollins, who congratulated her and awarded her with a Southern University swag pack, school supplies, and more!
Read Her Essay
Madyson
Black History Month Essay Topic: Shirley Clayton
Madyson’s essay was a beautiful tribute to her godmother, Shirley Clayton. An ExxonMobil chemist and Southern University alumni, Clayton continues to give back to the Baton Rouge community any chance she can.
She’s always willing to offer help to anyone in need and do anything even if it is small or big. As I continue blossoming into a woman I aspire to be just like my Godmother.
Madyson
To read Madyson’s Black History Month Essay, click here.
Each month we ask our AFH University campus liaisons for nominations of student-athletes and teams who excelled in service. Through our monthly nominations, we are able to acknowledge all of the good our student-athletes and teams are doing in their communities.
I really enjoyed being able to help the kids have fun for a small part of their day. I hope it brightened their day as much as it did mine.
Doria Martingayle, LSU Track & Field
Student-Athlete of the Month
Our February student-athlete of the month is Doria Martingayle from LSU. She continues to serve her community through monthly visits to Our Lady Of The Lake Children’s Hospital and encourages her teammates to join her.
“Doria visited OLOL Children’s Hospital to encourage patients and bring a little normalcy through games in the activity room.”
Team of the Month
The February team of the month was none other than Southern University’s bowling team. The SWAC champions hosted a 2-hour clinic where they encouraged senior citizens in the Baton Rouge community to get active through bowling!
“Southern University Women’s Bowling team hosted senior citizens from the Charles R. Kelly Community Center. The SWAC champs shared their tricks and how bowling is a great way to stay physically active.”
We are so proud of all of our student-athletes and teams who continue to help better their communities through service.
As Athletes for Hope (AFH) spent February celebrating the contributions and positive impacts of African American trailblazers, we partnered with our AFH University Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) athletic departments, asking high schoolers in their communities to share a story of an African American that has been an inspiration to them.
The outpouring of submissions from students was incredible. We are honored to share with you the stories of the winners of our AFH Black History Month Essay Contest from Bowie State- Prince George County.
Thank you to the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF), the official supporter of the AFH Black History Month Essay Contest at Bowie State, for making this possible.
Contest Winners
We are thrilled to announce the winners of the AFH Black History Month Essay Contest in the Bowie State community are Aisha, Brianna, Jayda, and Salman.
On February 18, the winners from Prince George County were invited to the Bowie State vs. Lincoln (PA) basketball game where they met AFH University Campus Liasion, Kevona Jones, and two members of APAF. During the game, the winners were recognized for their contributions and were shown on the big screen for all to see.
Black History Month Contest Essays
Aisha
Black History Month Essay Topic: Jackie Robinson
Aisha’s essay was a powerful story on how MLB Legend and social justice activist Jackie Robinson fought to change the way the media viewed and represented African Americans.
But the most important thing that he did was more than the sum of his parts. It was more than a single occasion or a big change that he made in the world. The most important thing that Jackie Robinson did, beyond being himself, was fight sanitization of black legacies.
Aisha
To read Aisha’s Black History Month essay, click here.
Brianna
Black History Month Essay Topic: Harriet Tubman
Brianna’s essay was a beautiful tribute to the life and legacy of freedom fighter Harriet Tubman. After her escape out of slavery, Harriet made 13 missions to Maryland where she freed over 70 African Americans.
Her unwavering determination, courage, and commitment to justice and equality have inspired me to be a better person and work for a more just and equitable world.
Brianna
To read Brianna’s Black History Month essay, click here.
Jayda
Black History Month Essay Topic: Frances Ellen Watkins Parker
Jayda’s essay emphasized using your written words as power. Born free in Baltimore, Maryland, Francis Ellen Watkins Parker was a well-known abolitionist voice and published author in anti-slave journals.
If not for Parker’s bravery, I might not have been able to publish a story myself, and becoming an author at such a young age is what shaped me into the young woman I am today who still holds a passion for writing.
Black History Month Essay Topic: Frederick Douglass
Salman’s essay was a historical depiction of the life of the activist, author, public speaker, and leader of the abolitionist movement, Frederick Douglass.
[He] is very significant in history as well as an inspiration for all those past slaves who had been free through his activism towards slavery as well as being dedicated to abolishing it.
Last month, over 150 student-athletes from Davidson College field hockey, cheer, and football engaged in an athlete empowerment workshop conducted by Athletes for Hope CEO, Jason Belinkie, and Founding CEO Emeritus, Ivan Blumberg.
AFH Empowerment Workshop, Davidson Field HockeyAFH Empowerment Workshop, Davidson Football
The empowerment workshop gave student-athletes an introduction to Athletes for Hope while focusing on a series of inspirational debates and exercises that explore an athlete’s role in the community. Student-athletes at Davidson had the opportunity to discuss topics such as how to be a leader in their community, how to utilize their powerful platform to make a difference, and how their involvement can positively impact their community.
“We are thrilled to expand AFH’s University program to Davidson College, where we will work closely with their passionate and diverse group of student athletes to make a positive and lasting impact in the Davidson community,” said Jason Belinkie, CEO of AFH. “We are grateful for the support and leadership of both Under Armour and Davidson College in making this important partnership possible.”
In addition to educational workshops, student-athletes will have the opportunity to begin their community service work with AFH University within the Davidson community, primarily focusing on volunteering at the Ada Jenkins Center, the home to one of Curry Brand’s latest court renovations in partnership with Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation and Summit Coffee Foundation. Curry Brand, powered by Under Armour, was started in 2020 with the commitment to change the game for good. One of their focus areas is to impact communities through 20 court renovations across the globe by 2025.
The Davidson community came to support the grand opening of the Ada Jenkins basketball renovation project.Ada Jenkins Center basketball court renovation reveal on January 21, 2023.
“The scholar-athletes at Davidson have a unique opportunity to develop critical life skills and philanthropic education that will further them on and off the court, field, course, or pool,” said Chris Clunie, Director of Athletics at Davidson College. “We are proud of our scholar-athletes for their deep commitment to leadership, service, and impact, and we are thankful to Athletes for Hope and Under Armour for their vision and partnership.”
Established in 2013, AFH University is located at 15 college and university campuses across the country, including five Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Founded by Muhammad Ali, Andre Agassi, Mia Hamm, and nine other elite athletes in 2006, Athletes for Hope (AFH) is a cause-neutral non-profit that educates, encourages, and empowers athletes to find their passions and use their time to positively engage with their communities. Over the past 16 years, AFH has educated more than 12,000 professional, Olympic, Paralympic, and collegiate athletes through its Causeway workshop series, and helped athletes volunteer with hundreds of underserved schools and impactful community organizations through core programs that focus on helping underserved children become more physically active, changing the public stigma around mental health, and brightening the lives of children in hospitals. Through their dedication and passion for doing good, AFH athletes have positively impacted the lives of millions around the world.
About Under Armour
Under Armour serves as a catalyst for the progress of athletes and our communities. Our purpose sits at the intersection of “Who We Are” and the “Need in the World” we can fulfill. We believe in waking up every morning to make athletes legendary. From the best of the best to the ones just getting started, we put the athlete at the center of everything we do. A subsidiary of Under Armour, the Curry Brand spans each category of Under Armour’s performance product innovations with an imprint designed to give back. Both are committed to bettering their communities, a percentage of yearly revenue will be spent on under-resourced communities so that all can participate in organized sports.
Each month we ask our AFH University campus liaisons for nominations of student-athletes and teams who excelled in service. Through our monthly nominations, we are able to acknowledge all of the good our student-athletes and teams are doing in their communities.
Seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces made us appreciate the opportunity that we had as kids and being able to take advantage of that [opportunity] to put us in the position to be influential to others is a blessing.
Jerry Burkett II, Southern Baseball
Student-Athlete of the Month
Our January student-athlete of the month is Jerry Burkett II from Southern University. He has been an integral part of service for his baseball team and continues to be a leader both on and off the field.
“Jerry Burkett II is a leader on the campus of Southern University and a leader in service for his team. Jerry has participated in all service events with his team while also capturing content. Last November, he assisted with meal prep for St.Vincent de Paul’s annual Thanksgiving dinner. He also serves on this year’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for Southern.”
Team of the Month
The January team of the month was none other than Howard University’s women’s lacrosse team. On Martin Luther King Day, the team spent countless hours handing out clothes and food to the city of D.C.’s most vulnerable through community partner So What Else.
“The Women’s Lacrosse Team should be recognized for January because of their MLK Day of Service with So What Else’s Meal and Clothing Distribution. The distribution was kind of slow due to no one coming to get food or clothing so I got the girls to mobilize the sandwiches around the city to anyone who may have been in need of a meal.”
We are so proud of all of our student-athletes and teams as they continue to selflessly give back to their communities.
On the third Monday of each new year, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by engaging in service projects throughout our communities nationwide. To many, Dr. King was a visionary. Uplifting his community through systemic change and encouraging others to take an active role in improving their communities.
His example is our call to action.
Our AFH University student-athletes from LSU, Southern, and Howard answered that call through eight (8) service projects in their own communities ranging from mural painting, planting shrubs, walking dogs, providing food and clothing for the less fortunate, and more.
Serve D.C.
The Howard University women’s and men’s golf teams kicked off volunteering on Saturday, January 14, with Serve DC. Together they packaged meals, created go kits, and learned critical CPR training.
Life’s most persistant and urgent questions is, “what are you doing for others?”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Peace Walk & Parade
On MLK Day, the Howard Swim & Dive team and the tennis team participated in the Peace Walk and Parade in the morning- a tradition that started over 40 years ago. The Peace Walk and Parade symbolizes the need to continue Dr. King’s work and reinforces the idea that every individual has a role to play in human progress and justice.
If you can’t fly, run; if you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk, crawl; but by all means keep moving.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Louisiana Key Academy
Monday, LSU Athletics hosted a “Live the Dream” Field Day at Louisiana Key Academy. Over 50 kids participated in the interactive service initiative with various stations facilitated by student-athletes highlighting their perspective sports.
MLK Day is special to me because I love giving back to my community. God has blessed me all my life and being able to give back to these kids and see them happy and smiling means the world to me.
Aristotle Abraham II, LSU Football
Forest Community Park
On Monday, Southern Volleyball, LSU Men’s Basketball, and LSU Volleyball assisted in forest restoration by planting shrubs and trees at Forest Community Park. Student-athletes moved plants from the parking lot to the restoration area, dug holes, and planted and watered plants.
Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve.
Martin Luther King
So What Else
On Monday afternoon, Howard women’s basketball, football, and lacrosse took various shifts at So What Else – whose mission is to improve the lives of children and families living in underserved communities in the Baltimore-Washington Metro Area- where they distributed meals and clothes to those less fortunate in the D.C. area.
Doing community service on MLK Day is important to me because he [Dr. King] dedicated his entire life to service in the Black community. It’s only right that on this day we pay tribute and serve those around us.
Kaniyah Harris, Howard Women’s Basketball
The Walls Project
Southern Baseball, Southern Soccer, LSU Golf, and LSU Soccer joined The Walls Project for their annual mural painting. Student-athletes painted a mural design sketched by a local artist and assisted with clean up at Jewel J. Newman Community Center.
All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
Martin Luther King Jr.
St. Vincent de Paul
LSU student-athletes from various sports served in the dining hall at St. Vincent de Paul which provides hot meals to Baton Rouge’s homeless community daily.
Friends of the Animals
At the final service project on Monday, student-athletes from various LSU sports teams engaged with a new partner, Friends of the Animals Baton Rouge Shelter. They walked dogs and assisted shelter staff with general cleaning.
The life and legacy of Dr. King lives on through people like our student-athletes, who continue to dedicate themselves to bettering their community. While MLK Day has passed, you can still honor his legacy by taking the AFH MLK Service Day Pledge.
