February is Black History Month, and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association is joining with organizations across the country to honor and celebrate the many contributions of African-Americans.
The ITA will kick off the month-long celebration with a color change in the look and feel of the branding, adding the Pan-African Flag color scheme.
“We’re always committed to focusing on diversity in our sport,” Tim Russell CEO of the ITA said. “It’s important that we promote positive change in areas of racial equality.”
The ITA will provide a special focus on African-American coaches and student-athletes throughout the month. During National Team Indoor Championships, we will be showcasing long-time coaches such as Bryan Shelton of the University of Florida and many of our student-athletes.
“While we continually strive to highlight the accomplishments of all of our coaches and student-athletes, we are particularly honored throughout Black History Month to offer special features,” Russell said. “An ongoing ITA goal is to serve and lift up all of our members while raising the profile of our sport.”
The ITA recently invited RiSE to its annual Coaches Convention to educate and inspire coaches to create positive change on matters of racism, prejudice and equality. RiSE is a national nonprofit that educates and empowers the sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations. For more information on RiSE be sure to visit www.risetowin.org.
