15-member panel includes campus and athletics administrators, coaches and student-athletes

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Southern Conference Commissioner Jim Schaus announced Tuesday the formation of a Racial Equity and Justice Task Force to counsel the league by identifying concepts and developing actionable items that can be used by all conference member schools regarding improving racial equity and social justice. The 15-member panel is composed of a racially diverse blend of student-athletes, coaches, campus administrators and athletics department staff members, with at least one representative from each of the league’s 10 full member schools.
 
Samford Director of Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives for Athletics JeNorri Armstead serves as chair of the task force.
 
“There is a critical and timely need for exploring this subject,” Schaus said. “Much has been learned through the initial discussions. The task force seeks to identify practical ways to foster awareness and promote education that can make a difference. I am excited to see how it all progresses.”
 
The task force’s main tenets to explore are:
 
- Promoting diversity
- Education
- Support for key constituents
- Awareness
- Marketing
 
The task force will meet regularly and will seek input from constituents on SoCon campuses and will aim to engage in conversations with student-athletes on these focus areas, including raising awareness about mental health. The committee is also supporting the NCAA and SoCon SAAC’s voting initiatives social media campaign and each SAAC’s on-campus efforts.
 
Southern Conference Racial Equity and Justice Task Force members