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Diversity and Inclusion - EMPOWER

Mission

EMPOWER’s mission is to uplift and provide a safe space for student-athletes of color at the University of Illinois within the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. This organization aims to further the success of minoritized groups and encourage positive interactions while emphasizing the importance of goal setting, mentoring, and networking.

Goals

EMPOWER has three primary goals:

  1. To provide a comfortable environment that encourages dialogue surrounding social justice issues and the experiences of student-athletes of color.
  2. To provide opportunities for EMPOWER members to network with students, student-athletes, and alumni from minoritized groups.
  3. Host events that promote fun, educational, and engaging interactions between student-athletes of various ethnicities, cultures, and personal ideology.

Structure

EMPOWER consists of four co-leaders and general membership made up of Illinois varsity student-athletes who identify as an ethnic minority.

Student-Athlete Leadership

Champaign, IL - October 13, 2024 - Illinois Sprinter Azariyah Bryant headshot taken during 2024-2025 Track and Field Production Day  at Fighting Illini Center for Excellence in Champaign, IL. (Photo By Kevin Snyder/Illinois Athletics)

Azariyah Bryant, Women's Track & Field
Co-Leader

Genesis Bryant  2024-25 headshot

Genesis Bryant, Women's Basketball
Co-Leader

Champaign, IL - October 13, 2024 - Illinois Jumper Kam Garrett headshot taken during 2024-2025 Track and Field Production Day  at Fighting Illini Center for Excellence in Champaign, IL. (Photo By Kevin Snyder/Illinois Athletics)

Kam Garrett, Men's Track & Field
Co-Leader

Champaign, IL - August 25, 2024 - Illinois Women's Gymnast Micheala Gentry headshot taken during 2024 Olympic Sports Headshot Day at Bielfeldt Athletics Administration Building in Champaign, IL. (Photo By Kevin Snyder/Illinois Athletics)

Michaela Gentry, Women's Gymnastics
Co-Leader

Champaign, IL - September 16, 2024 - Illinois Guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (#2) headshot taken during 2024-2025 Men's Basketball Production Day at Ubben Basketball Complex in Champaign, IL. (Photo By Kevin Snyder/Illinois Athletics)

Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, Men's Basketball
Co-Leader

Champaign, IL - August 08, 2024 - Illinois Linebacker Kenenna Odeluga (#39) headshot taken during 2024 Football Headshots at Henry Dale and Betty Smith Football Center in Champaign, IL. (Photo By Kevin Snyder/Illinois Athletics)

Kenenna Odeluga, Football
Co-Leader

Advisor

CHAMPAIGN, IL - August 20, 2023 - Illinois Student-Athlete Development Coordinator Solomon Siskind headshot taken during 2023 Olympic Sport Headshot Day in the Hall of Fame room of Bielfeldt Athletics Administration Building in Champaign, IL. Photo By Kevin Snyder

Solomon Siskind - siskind2@illinois.edu
Advisor

Roles & Responsibilities

Advisor
• Provides guidance to co-leaders and supports their mission, vision, and upcoming events

General Membership
• Consists of student-athletes who identify as Black and/or African American and their allies
• Members can attend meetings freely

Event Spotlights

2024 EMPOWER Pumpkin Painting
2024 EMPOWER Pumpkin Painting
EMPOWER Costume Party 1 2024
2024: EMPOWER Costume Party

EMPOWER Decades Night

EMPOWER hosts ‘Decade Night’ where all student-athletes showed up in outfits and played games from their favorite decade!

EMPOWER - kickback

EMPOWER hosts their first kickback with food, games, and karaoke, while watching Illini football.
 

Illinois Athletics - EMPOWER Conversation with Police Zoom

EMPOWER hosts a forum with local law enforcement to ask questions about police training, implicit bias, funding, and mental health in law enforcement.
 

Illinois Athletics - EMPOWER Black Student-Athlete Summit in Austin, Texas

EMPOWER membership attends the Black Student-Athlete Summit.

Contact Information

EMPOWER
Solomon Siskind

Student-Athlete Development Coordinator
EMPOWER Advisor

siskind2@illinois.edu

Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center (BNAACC)
Jazmyne Kellogg

Director, BNAACC    

jkello3@illinois.edu

Cherisse Smith

Assistant Director, BNAACC    

cherisse@illinois.edu

Valeri Nesbitt-Howard

Office Support Staff

vahoward@illinois.edu

BNAACC

OOIR.Illinois.edu/BNAACC 

bnaacc@illinois.edu
(217) 333-2092

Women's Resource Center (WRC)
Kasey Umland Director, WRC umland@illinois.edu
Nora Peterson Associate Ditector, Prevention nepeters@illinois.edu
Minsun (MK) Kim Advocacy & Wellness Coordinator mk101@illinois.edu
Kara Lawrence Advocacy & Wellness Coordinator kl95@illinois.edu
Joan Wingo Office Support Associate wing@illinois.edu
Women's Resource Center OIIR.Illinois.edu/Womens-Center

womenscenter@illinois.edu
(217) 333-3137

Office of Minority Student Affairs (OMSA)
Kimberly Alexander-Brown Executive Director, Office of Minority Student Affairs and Director of TRIO programs

kalexand@illinois.edu
(217) 333-7547

Vincent Cunningham Associate Director, TRIO Programs vcunni1@illinois.edu
Office of Minority Student Affairs OMSA.Illinois.edu omsa@illinois.edu
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (OVCDEI)

Vice Chancellor's Office 
Administrative Staff

Diversity.Illinois.edu

diversity@illinois.edu
(217) 300-9580

Office for Access & Equity

OAE.Illinois.edu

accessandequity@illinois.edu
(217) 333-0885

Title IX Office

Diversity.Illinois.edu/about/title-ix-office

titleixcoordinator@illinois.edu
(844) 616-7978

Office of Academic Inclusive Excellence

Diversity.Illinois.edu/about/office-of-academic-inclusive-excellence

diversity@illinois.edu

Office for Business, Community & Economic Development

Diversity.Illinois.edu/about/office-for-business-community-economic-development

bced@illinois.edu
(217) 244-2907

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
National Headquarters

NAACP.org

(410) 580-5777
Toll Free: (877) 622-2798

Membership

members@naacpnet.org
(866) 636-2227

NAACP Events

(410) 580-5780
Toll Free: (410) 580-5782