BERKELEY – Cal Athletics' Black Student-Athlete Community (BSAC) group earned the distinguished honor of 2024 Black Student-Athlete Organization of the Year, which it received at the annual Black Student-Athlete Summit in May.
 
BSAC was part of one of the largest contingents of student-athletes and staff from a single school to attend the summit – an annual multi-day event that aims to help Black student-athletes maximize their college experience and provide them with networking and professional development opportunities.
 
The group was recognized for its unique and well-established events and programming throughout the 2023-24 academic year, which included numerous interactions with groups on campus as well as within the community. One of the primary goals of BSAC has been to strengthen partnerships and bridges to campus.
 
"As a student-athlete in a PWI, there's little opportunity and space where you can meet other students who are going through like experiences, but being a part of BSAC, I was able to find a community where I could connect with like individuals with the comfort of a safe space," said eMjae Frazier, incoming BSAC Co-President and sophomore on Cal's women's gymnastics team. "I want to make a difference and show little girls and boys that you can go to any school your heart wants and help continue to grow this culture and bring more unity between the athletes and the school."
 
During Black History Month, Courtney Boone, a junior on Cal's women's soccer team and incoming BSAC Co-President, participated in a panel discussion during the historic Champions of Justice event at Cal. The event honored Dr. John Carlos, Dr. Harry Edwards and Dr. Tommie Smith for their contributions to sport and society and included a panel discussion with the group about their 1968 Olympic Project for Human Rights.
 
Members of BSAC also participated in the Cameron Institute's inaugural "Go Girls, Go Bears, Go Play" event this past February, which brought over 1,000 youth and their families together for a day of interactive play and learning sessions in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
 
The group received official campus organizational status under outgoing BSAC President Kennedy Goss.
 
"As I look back, I am most proud that we were able to register as a RSO [registered student organization]," Goss said. "Registering for this title on campus brought a lot of benefits and support to the club and allowed us to deepen the structure and constitution of BSAC. I would also like to add that one of our biggest goals for the year was to integrate black students and black student-athletes. We hosted a plethora of events where both parties were able to attend and connect with each other outside of sport or classroom, which a lot of people felt was fulfilling and exciting to be a part of. "
 
BSAC was formed in 2017 after Tarik Glenn – the interim executive director of the Athletic Study Center and recent 2024 Cal Athletics Hall of Fame electee – led a Cal-based group that attended the Black Student-Athlete Summit.
 

 
"The genesis of BSAC was truly inspiring, thanks to the vision, sacrifice and leadership of Noah Westerfield, Ashten Smith-Gooden, Eugene Hamilton and Ashley Anderson," Glenn said. "They exemplified the essence of my favorite quote from the Apostle Paul: 'Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up' (Gal. 6:9). The foundation they laid back then is what we witness and appreciate today."
 
Dr. Ty-Ron Douglas, Cal Athletics' associate athletics director for diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and justice is one of the group's co-mentors and has helped organize the annual trip to the Black Student-Athlete Summit.
 
"This award is a recognition of the hard work of many, including Kennedy and her executive team of Courtney, eMjae, Khalen Curry, Jelani Sweet, Ryan Lacefield and RJ Stephens, BSAC co-mentor Jennifer Morgan, the Cameron Institute's Jessie Stewart and Tayler Perez, past BSAC mentors Bobby Thompson and Brianna Hubbard, and alums," Douglas said.