Owls for Justice: Standing Up For Equality

Student-athletes have spent their entire lives waiting for their number to be called. Competing at the NCAA Division I level proves that when called upon, you need to live up to the moment.

In 2020, student-athletes are living up to a new moment -- to speak out and advocate for change about the recent social injustice that has been brought to light.

Following the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, many companies, organizations, and universities were issuing statements and committing funds to the cause for reform, but the overall long-standing goals of the organizations were unclear. Temple University's student-athletes wanted to do more than just speak out, which led to the formation of Owls for Justice. This new student-athlete led organization was created to advocate for long-lasting and substantial reform for racial equality in this country.

Owls for Justice founding member and gymnast, Jackie Terpak explained, "Owls for Justice formed in June when a few of us reached out to the Athletic Department wanting to do more about the injustices our country has been facing. We started with a small group and had a five-hour zoom call. From there a statement was made about where we stand, and action was taken."

Following the initial formation, the founding members went to work to get the message out and create engagement all the way across the athletic department. One of the representatives from the track and field team, Aisha Brown, discussed how she first joined the organization, "It was formed by Manny (Ikeocha) and Jackie and started off with a groupme of representatives from each sports team as well as cheer and dance and administrators."

Since its formation in June, the organization has grown to a leadership team of 30 and includes over 150 general body members. Growing a student organization at a speed such as this could not be possible without widespread support from administrators within the athletic department. "The school has been great and very supportive. Early on we had the opportunity to talk to all head coaches and senior administration and we have full support from them and everyone has been willing to help" explained Terpak.

Since its formation, the top priority remains to advocate for justice and equality. Founding member and men's soccer student-athlete Ikeocha explored the organization's purpose by stating "What has come to light with the recent killings of people of color, highlights the number of people that want to do good. It makes a statement about what the department stands for."

The organization has scheduled several events. First, members of Owls for Justice traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the anniversary of the March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his historic speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In addition, Owls for Justice has planned athletics wide protest and community engagement events such as a Social Justice 5K.

To maintain the organization's many goals, they have established a leadership structure to maintain efficiency. Brown said, "the leadership group is also broken up into smaller groups: Social Media/Graphic Design, Events Coordinator/Finder, Voter Initiatives, Philly Coalition of Schools for Social Justice, Community Outreach, Education Initiatives, Mural, and Fundraising. Each group has members of the leadership group that lead the group and the rest of the student-athletes choose which group they want to be involved with."

"We do a lot to make sure that what we do is not just in the moment but long-standing, we want to change the world for the better" Ikeocha said while elaborating on the organization's main goals and their long-standing commitments.

"The focus right now is spreading awareness about voting and getting student-athletes registered to vote. We also are fighting for students and coaches to be held accountable for racist actions/discrimination and we are encouraging more education and open conversations amongst teams regarding racism" said Brown.

"Fighting for this and using our voices collectively is the greatest thing we will ever do," said Ikeocha, "it is always darkest right before the dawn, and we are here to make sure that stands true."

Temple University Athletics

Owls for Justice: Standing Up For Equality

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