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Black Student-Athletes At Oregon State Launch Racial Justice Awareness Campaign

Chris Lehman
/
KLCC

Black student-athletes at Oregon State University have launched a public awareness campaign for racial justice issues.

Systemic racism exists everywhere, including at Oregon State University and in its host city, Corvallis. That’s one of the messages from the Black student athletes that are kicking off a new initiative to bring awareness of those issues.

The group is calling their campaign “Dam Change,” which is a nod to OSU’s beaver mascot. An https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO2UNZswVVg">introductory video features athletes sharing stories of racism they’ve personally experienced.

One of the goals of the Dam Change campaign is mandatory social justice meetings for coaches, administrators and athletes. The initiative will also include social media outreach as well as "in-game promotions."

According to a press release issued by the Oregon State Athletics Department, some of the "action items" of the "Dam Change" campaign will be "large forum conversations with other athletes to learn about what Black athletes face every single day; a special session for new students led by Black student-athletes; more emphasis on Black History Month; and an internship program for minority student-athletes who want to work in collegiate athletics."

Chris Lehman has been reporting on Oregon issues since 2006. He joined the KLCC news department in December 2018 and became News Director in March 2023. Chris was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. His public broadcasting career includes stops in Louisiana and Illinois. Chris has filed for national programs including “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”
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