00:00What's going on, Essence family?
00:09It's your girl, Sharee Nicole, producer and host here at Essence.
00:11And last time, it was Nola.
00:13This time, it's Atlanta, Georgia.
00:15And let me tell you all something.
00:17We laid it all out.
00:18We have two amazing honorees, Sonia Richards-Ross and Sonia
00:21Stills, amongst other attendees, influencers.
00:24Everybody's here.
00:25And we're all talking about visibility, equity,
00:28and pay for Black women in sports.
00:29And of course, HBCUs.
00:31It's going down right now.
00:32Check it out.
00:34Welcome to the 2022 Essence Black Women in Sports brunch
00:40in the biggest, blackest, most beautiful city in America.
00:44ATL, let's go.
00:46This is not a journey of needing anybody to feel sorry for us,
00:51think they need to help us, or try to stand up for us.
00:56We're fully capable if you'll just get out of the way.
00:59You see right now, HBCUs are hot, and everybody wants to be a part.
01:03But we're realizing, how do we capitalize on that?
01:06And how do we really take advantage of that?
01:09What does it mean for someone like you to be in this space and be able to contribute
01:14from a thought-provoking perspective, even as an audience member?
01:17What are you hoping for today?
01:18Well, I'm just so glad that we get to set aside some time to honor women in sports,
01:22because we have made such an indelible mark and impact in this industry.
01:26Ladies and gentlemen, our Essence Black Women in Sports star athlete, awardee,
01:32sister, Sonya Richard Ross!
01:37So I want to encourage all of you that God's delay is not a denial.
01:42Just because it didn't happen on your time or when you thought it would happen,
01:45doesn't mean it's not going to happen for you. And when it does, it's going to be so worth it.
01:51Sister Sonya Stills, we are honored to present you with the Essence Black Women in Sports
02:00Leadership Award. Come up here and get your flowers.
02:05Caroline, thank you so much and Essence for this honor.
02:09I could not have never imagined this as a little girl.
02:13I'm very excited because for the first time, I'm here in the Essence Black Women in Sports Lounge,
02:19the first of its kind. And I'm going to have some amazing conversations about some of the things
02:23we talked about out there, visibility, HBCU sports, and of course, Black women in sports.
02:27So let's take a look. How beautiful, amazing, important is it for you to be honored here today
02:33at Essence Black Women in Sports?
02:34It's so tremendous to be able to be here and be honored.
02:39But most importantly, for people to see me and want to be in my position,
02:45because I might be the first, but I should never be the last.
02:48Please welcome Essence Black Women in Sports Rising Star Honoree, Coach Pamela Jenkins.
02:58You guys have been, your team in particular, very traumatic experience that you had as of late.
03:03With that in mind, how has that shaped the way that you move
03:07as a Black woman coaching in this field, especially at an HBCU?
03:10I'll never forget, one of my players said to me, I felt worthless after that happened.
03:15And so it means so much to be here and to receive that recognition because it's from other women that
03:21look like us, from other organizations that looks like us, to show, no, you are worth something. And
03:28people recognize that. There is so many layers to being a Black woman. There's being a Black
03:32woman. There's being a Black woman in sports. There's being a Black woman in sports, specifically
03:36at an HBCU. So we're going to have a great conversation.
03:38What did you enjoy most about that HBCU Black Women in Sports conversation?
03:42I just think it's important in general that we talk about HBCUs in a way that is not only uplifting,
03:46but also a recognition of how far they've come and how many people they've helped. Because we sort of act
03:52like, oh, like, look what so-and-so did for HBCUs, when really HBCUs have done so much more for so many.
03:59The one thing we ask ourselves is, when we're leaving a place, did we make it better?
04:03Yeah. And the answer is, absolutely, Dion made Jackson State better.
04:06I want to talk about Dion Sanders for a moment because I know you guys mentioned it.
04:09What needs to happen for us to understand that it's important to celebrate
04:13our leaders that invest in HBCUs that ultimately move on?
04:16So I think as a culture, we have to support each other because we're saying we want more students to
04:21come to HBCUs, but if we're not supporting each other, the choice won't be made.
04:26Black women are everything.
04:28Yes. Yes.
04:29Everything.
04:30What is one real need that you've seen across the board for Black women in sports that you're
04:35not necessarily seeing in other areas?
04:37I mean, I believe it's just the promotion of Black athletes.
04:40Yeah.
04:40Because there's greatness all over.
04:42Women's athletics is going to continue to grow because we are resilient.
04:46Yes.
04:46What's a part of your story that you want to tell more of?
04:50First of all, I was given access, and through access, I was given opportunity.
04:54When you look at different sports leagues, the NFL, the NBA, you see the type of stories that
04:58they put out about these players. For us, most of the time, it's either about our sport or it's
05:03about us trying to become a mom. We talk about visibility, and one of the things that really
05:07shed a bright light on the WNBA in terms of that was the pandemic, to be honest with you,
05:11and everything that happened. What can the next wave look like to make sure that this visibility is a
05:15constant, and there's no drop off. The biggest thing you kind of saw in the pandemic, ESPN was
05:20really locked in on making sure that we got that coverage. We got the coverage, we got the views,
05:23you know? So I think that's a really big part of it.
05:26As women, especially Black women, we have so much to think about, especially being a woman in sports.
05:32What is your hope for Black women student-athletes on the collegiate level? What would you like them
05:37to be able to experience?
05:38You can hurt yourself, you can pull your hamstring, you can break a leg, whatever, but
05:42I want them to get their education because that would last well beyond their athletic years.
05:47We need more money, and we're better than the guys, and we look better.
05:51It's all true. These are all big facts.
05:53Let's talk about collaboration and visibility. One of the bigger topics today. Everybody's
05:57visibility, visibility, this is what it's going to take. You know, let's talk about just what the
06:00Divine Nine needs to do. We govern 3.5 million together, and many of our members are in sports.
06:07So our commitment is to make sure that we create space in every space we occupy.
06:12Why was it important for you to be in the room today?
06:14As a leader of the organization, that we're in this space to show folks that we are going to
06:19make sure that we continue to provide the tools and be a support system for them in that regard.
06:24You have a lot going on, but you're here right now.
06:26Always.
06:26So why was it important for you to be here at Black Women Sports?
06:29So I'm a big advocate of women. I'm a supporter. I'm a sister girl. I'm that cheerleader, right?
06:33We talk about this all the time. I feel like that's why God put me on this earth.
06:37And it's amazing that Essence does such a great job at giving people their flowers when
06:41they're still living. So I had to be a part of this.
06:43And that's a wrap. As you all can see, pretty much everybody's out of here except for myself
06:47and a few of my Essence family behind me. But it's been a great experience,
06:51as always, right here at the Essence Black Women in Sports Brunch in Atlanta.
06:54I don't know the next city we're going to hit, but I'm excited all the same,
06:57and I hope you are too. Signing off.
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