Canisius College student-athlete Matthew Genaway, of Darien Center, is helping to further education about social justice and combat racial injustice by participating in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's (MAAC) United for Justice campaign.
A Accounting major at Canisius, Genaway is on the men's golf team and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). SAAC is working in conjunction with the college's Athletic Department to spread awareness about the United for Justice campaign on campus.
Initiated by the MAAC in August 2020, the United for Justice campaign engages its 11 member institutions on ways to advance and execute strategies to combat racial injustices within society. Participating members pledge to work to address racism and inequality issues that minorities in the country have and still currently face, with a goal to educate and to create substantial change in communities. For the upcoming season, MAAC teams have unified to focus their messaging platform on the Black Lives Matter movement.
"Change comes from a movement that involves an entire collective group working towards common goals and desires, not a single moment in time," says MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. "A groundwork for change has been established in the MAAC, it is up to all of us involved to ensure systemic racism, violence and oppression are brought to the forefronts of minds in our communities and that awareness is raised to bring the change we want to see in our society."
At Canisius, SAAC members printed solidarity shirts, which student-athletes wear as warm-up gear prior to games. The front of these black shirts are adorned with a white image of the college's mascot, the Griffin, and the letters AMDG (Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam) which, when translated from Latin, means "for the greater glory of God" -- a cornerstone of the Society of Jesus and Jesuit education.
In addition to the solidarity shirts, SAAC members are planning a Unity Walk to be held in early December.
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Canisius College pledges to pursue academic and athletic excellence, and to uphold the ideals and values of the Jesuit tradition. Members work to generate a student-athlete voice within the Athletic Department and the institution, to discuss issues and develop recommendations that enhance the well-being of student-athletes on campus.
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Canisius is comprised of nearly 30 student-athletes including Genaway, who is expected to graduate in 2021.
One of 27 Jesuit universities in the nation, Canisius is the premier private university in Western New York. Canisius celebrates its sesquicentennial anniversary during the 2019-20 academic year, marking 150 years of Jesuit education and leadership in the city of Buffalo and Western New York.
Visit https://www.canisius.edu/150 for more information about Canisius' milestones and celebratory events.
Photo, from left, SAAC members Turner Dirrigl, Cat Gallagher, Libby Benzer, Sydney Livermore and Matthew Genaway (Not pictured, Lexi Agee, SAAC president). Photo courtesy: Tessa Pszonak/The Griffin.
