Pitman, NJ - Montclair State junior
IMANI THOMPSON and TCNJ sophomore Sam Akinlolu have been selected to the newly created NJAC Diversity & Inclusion Committee, announced by the conference office on Thursday.
Thompson and Akinlolu were among nearly two dozen outstanding applications for two student-athlete positions on the committee.
The NJAC Diversity & Inclusion Committee was established in June by the Board of Athletic Administrators and the NJAC Presidents' Council, and includes selected athletic administrators, campus diversity and inclusion personnel, and student-athletes. The committee will work to educate on matters of diversity & inclusion, and will help steer the conference's initiatives and policies.
"I'm excited for the opportunity that Imani and Sam will have to serve on this newly established committee and I know they will provide a valuable student-athlete voice," said NJAC Commissioner Terry Small. "There were a number of outstanding student-athlete candidates for these committee vacancies and I want to commend Assistant Commissioner Michelle Serabian and committee chair Shawn Tucker for their work in identifying Imani and Sam from among a very strong pool of applicants."
Thompson is a junior soccer student-athlete for the Red Hawks and has a long family history of being involved in racial and social justice initiatives. Along with her brother, she organized a Black Lives Matter march in her hometown of Wayne, NJ, this past summer which was attended by nearly 1,000 participants and garnered media attention. In the process, she met with members of the NAACP for help with organization and speeches for the event. Thompson is also active in the LGBTQ+ community and has participated in the NYC Pride parade.
According to Montclair State women's soccer head coach Pat Naughter, "[Imani] has been a wonderful resource for our program. She is an approachable person who is aware that some of her teammates and coaches have different experiences and varying levels of comfort discussing the role that race, gender, and sexual orientation play in society."
"I am honored and thankful to have been chosen to be a part of the NJAC Diversity and Inclusion Committee," Thompson said. "The fight for racial equality and social justice has always been one of my passions, and I can't wait to get started. I come from a family that has been heavily involved in the civil rights movement for generations. I am excited to help the committee with its mission to steer the NJAC's initiatives and policies in order to create a more diverse and inclusive conference."
Akinlolu, a sophomore football student-athlete for the Lions, has quickly ascended to a position of leadership and respect among his peers at TCNJ. Compassionate dialogue on the difficult topics and issues at hand have been Akinlolu's strength, which shined through in the selection process. He has been at the forefront of the conversations within the Lions' community, taking on a leadership role particularly in team conversations on current events and societal issues.
According to TCNJ football head coach Casey Goff, "Sam is a very straightforward and assertive guy with so much potential to do great things. If you want a guy who will be engaging, voice his opinion, and do so in a conscientious and thoughtful manner, then Sam is a great candidate."
"I'm extremely honored to be on the NJAC Diversity and Inclusion Committee, a committee that stands for the same values that I stand for," Akinlolu said. "I am enabled to be the best version of myself by being a member of this committee. This committee allows me to engage in positive actions within a well-intentioned community of individuals, whose number one goal is to uplift everyone within our reach in order to create a unified family."
