1963 Loyola teamThe University of Windsor will host the only Canadian screening of the documentary “The Loyola Project,” an inspiring story in the fight for equality, Thursday, March 17.

Student athletes raising voices against injustice

Under the banner “Author Your Story,” an assistant coach with the Lancer men’s basketball team is encouraging student-athletes to help combat racism and social injustice.

Paul Ekeocha is the founder of With1Voice, which provides a platform for student-athletes to share their experiences. By contributing to the discussion, they can raise awareness of these issues in the hope of sparking change.

“Author Your Story has two meanings,” says Ekeocha. “Literally, write down your story of experienced racism, profiling, implicit biases, and allyship. But also, take control to write the story of your life.”

The organization has partnered with varsity teams from Laurier, McMaster, British Columbia, and St. Francis Xavier universities as well as the University of Windsor. Ekeocha hopes to build a coast-to-coast network to engage people in “awkward” conversations about discrimination.

“People who are not Black aren’t used to having these conversations, but it’s not awkward for us,” he says. “These are everyday experiences.”

With1Voice is partnering with the Faculty of Human Kinetics and other UWindsor offices to host a screening of the documentary The Loyola Project, which weaves together archival footage and modern interviews to tell the story of the 1963 Loyola Ramblers, NCAA champions who broke racial barriers and changed college basketball forever.

The film is screening at colleges and universities around the U.S. throughout the spring. Windsor is the sole Canadian institution to arrange for a showing.

It is set for 1 p.m. Thursday, March 17, via Zoom. Find more information and register to attend the viewing at uwindsor.ca/kinesiology/TheLoyolaProject.

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