IRVING, Texas – American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco has announced the winners of the inaugural Racial Equality Action Group awards, including Dr. Richard E. Lapchick of UCF, Memphis’ Marlon Dechausay and Temple women’s lacrosse player Charessa Crosse.
In 2021-22, the Racial Equality Action Group (REAG) created awards to recognize the contributions of student-athletes, staff and other individuals related to the institution.
The Commissioner’s Annual Trailblazer Award is awarded to an individual who has a long-time history of inclusive behavior, local activism, commitment to diverse and inclusive practices within athletics/sport industries, have spoken out on behalf of the underserved or underrepresented, who have committed time, services and energy to embrace and uphold the tenets of diversity, equity and inclusion in their everyday lives and/or who have made innovate changes that positively affected athletics diversity initiatives.
The American’s Together We Stand Awards will be awarded to one current student-athlete and one current institutional staff member that demonstrate excellence in advancing racial equality in their athletic department, at their institution and/or in their community. In addition to the conference Together We Stand awards, the nominees from the institutions will be recognized.
Lapchick is the winner of the Commissioner’s Trailblazer Award. Lapchick, a human rights activist and pioneer for racial equality, is an internationally recognized expert on sports issues, scholar and author. He serves as the president of the Institute for Sport and Social Justice, which is housed at UCF, and for more than two decades oversaw the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at UCF. One of his most effective tools for enacting change at a fundamental, institutional level has been his acclaimed Racial and Gender Report Card, which he began in 1988, and is now compiled by UCF graduate students. Amongst his numerous honors, Lapchick was honored with the 1997 Arthur Ashe Voice of Conscience Award and was named the 2021 Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year.
The Winner of our Together We Stand Award for a Student-Athlete is Crosse, a senior women’s lacrosse player from Temple. She is the co-founder of the Black Student-Athlete Association, which was founded with the purpose of providing a safe space where black student-athletes can come together to discuss campus issues and create campus events. She is also a founding member of Owls for Justice and a Temple SAAC Board member. She represented Temple at the 2021 Black Student-Athlete Summit.
The Winner of our Together We Stand Award for a Staff Member is Dechausay, Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete Welfare at Memphis. Dechausay helped form the University of Memphis Athletics for Diversity & Equality (UMADE) program, which is an “intentional and sustainable effort to eradicate systemic racism and promote social justice.” Dechausay has run multiple listening sessions for coaches and student-athletes and serves as a liaison to the Athletes for Equality Group. He also serves as a co-Chair of the American Athletic Conference’s REAG and is part of The American’s SAAC Advisory Committee.
Institutional Nominees for Together We Stand Awards
Student-Athlete
Jada Cody – Softball, UCF
Laynce Williams – Women’s Basketball, Memphis
Tieley Vaughn – Softball, South Florida
Charessa Crosse – Women’s Lacrosse, Temple
Nobal Days – Men’s Basketball, Tulane
Staff Member
Chris McFarlane – Deputy AD for External Relations and Business Development, UCF
Marlon Dechausay – Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete Welfare, Memphis
Kydani Dover – Director of Student Learning Services, South Florida