Kathleen M. Kunkler, who is the Senior Vice President and Global Sports and Entertainment Director, at Morgan Stanley will facilitate the panel discussion with 13-year WNBA veteran Essence Carson and former NBA player and Director of Basketball Player Development of the Connecticut Sun Awvee Storey.
Over the past year, no sports entity or person was more active in the social justice movement than the WNBA and its members. In the summer of 2020, the league announced the Justice Movement campaign and the formation of the social justice council to be a driving force of continuing conversations about race, voting rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and gun control amongst other important societal issues.
Throughout the season, players, executives, and coaches from all 12 of the league’s teams were actively creating change through the Black Lives Matter and #SayHerName initiatives in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others. The league also spearheaded a widespread voting campaign to educate those on how to vote and the importance of making their voices heard.
Oberlin College has also spent much of the past year recommitting itself to being leaders in this space and is proud to partner with the WNBA to lean in and learn during this special event.
“The women of the WNBA using their platform to bring attention to the societal inequalities that exist is inspiring. Oberlin sharing an evening during Black History Month with the WNBA is a natural match with the current Presidential Initiative and our rich history of advocacy,” said Associate Vice President for Athletics Advancement and Delta Lodge Director of Athletics & Physical Education Natalie Winkelfoos.
