UCLA Student-Athletes Lead Initiative for Social Justice
November 05, 2020 | Bruin Athletics
LOS ANGELES โ UCLA Athletics announced today a student-athlete-led initiative to symbolize a commitment to anti-racism and social justice. For the 2020-21 academic year, Bruin student-athletes will have the option to wear a "Stand Together" patch on their uniforms.
All UCLA student-athletes were offered the opportunity to weigh in on the patch design. Ultimately, about 50 student-athletes representing nearly every team, including several members of the newly-formed UCLA Black Student-Athlete Alliance (BSAA), participated in brainstorming and design sessions, with the help of a graphic designer. The final design supported by the group showcases three fists underscored with the UCLA Athletics logo, surrounded by the words "Stand Together" and "Equality" "Justice" and "Respect".
"I am so excited that the BSAA was able to join our fellow student-athletes in selecting and designing the patch," said UCLA BSAA co-founder and women's basketball player Michaela Onyenwere. "As an organization and a university, we stand for equality, justice and respect, and this patch fully embodies that. We can't wait to be able to sport it!"
In late July, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel agreed to permit athletic programs to feature patches or decals as part of their standard uniforms. Even teams whose uniforms don't support a patch will have the opportunity to be involved in the initiative; patches are permitted to be placed on other items. For example, gymnastics may elect to add the patch to their warm-up jackets; water polo may add it to their robes; or golf may add it to their golf bags. Pins of the same design also will be distributed for use by coaches, as well as on bags, hats and apparel.
Additionally, members of the Bruin football team will have the option to wear a special nameplate exclusively for UCLA's season opener at Colorado on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 4:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. MT on ESPN2. Football student-athletes proposed to have the option to replace the name on the back of their jersey with a word. The words the team chose are Equality, Justice, Love, Peace and Unity. Student-athletes could choose to represent one of those five values for the opener, or to continue to represent their family with their last name.
"I think it's admirable because they're trying to use their platform to make an impact," said the Alice and Nahum Lainer Athletic Director Martin Jarmond. "So, I met with them and listened to their motivation. Ultimately, I supported it because this is something that represents UCLA. This is what UCLA is all about."