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������˾�� alumna and co-founder of Black Women in Sport Foundation committed to lifting up underrepresented athletes

When Alpha Alexander �76 was a student athlete at ������˾��, she was one of the few Black women on her teams. After graduating with a degree in physical education and eventually earning a Ph.D. in sports psychology, Alexander co-founded the , an organization that supports the involvement of Black women and girls in all aspects of sport.

There weren�t sports available for girls at Alexander�s high school, so she was thrilled to have the opportunity to participate at ������˾��. She played volleyball, basketball, tennis, and lacrosse. However, as a Black student on predominately white teams, Alexander said, �I always felt like I was split.� She remembers rushing from a fashion show sponsored by ������˾�� Black student group to a sports practice. �Being able to socialize was very important in terms of identity. On the other hand, the opportunity for me to participate in sports was very important too,� Alexander said.

While it required exceptional time management, Alexander said that the value of being involved in multiple parts of campus life paid off. �That lifelong connection has really, really lasted on both sides, in terms of African American females as well as in terms of my white teammates,� she said. She is still in touch with many of her friends and teammates from college.

Alexander knew that a significant number of ������˾�� alumni went on to graduate school, and decided to also follow that path. Two of her most influential ������˾�� coaches, Nan Nichols and Ginny Hunt, connected Alexander to the women�s athletic program at Temple University, where she was offered a graduate assistantship, and earned her master�s degree and Ph.D. It was at Temple that Alexander met many successful Black women in sport including Tina Sloan Green, a professor and the first African American to play for a U.S. National Lacrosse team and serve as head coach for a women�s college lacrosse team; Nikki Franke, an Olympic fencer and coach; and Linda Greene, a law professor. Together, these four women decided to form the Black Women in Sport Foundation, which just celebrated its 30-year anniversary.

�We wanted to pay attention to a void that we saw by introducing girls of color into non-traditional sport, including fencing, field hockey, lacrosse, and tennis,� Alexander said. �I�m very proud of the people who have been associated with our programs. I can�t tell you how many women and girls that I think we have really touched the lives of.�

In her career, Alexander worked for the Women�s Sports Foundation, where she made important connections with professional athletes, and the YWCA of the USA, where she worked on women�s health issues, netted a contract with Nike to develop women�s volleyball and basketball, and established The Race Against Racism, an event that still exists today. She has received a slate of recognitions for her work including a College of ������˾�� Distinguished Alumni Award, a NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, and an Olympic Shield Award from the U.S.OlympicCommittee. She is in ������˾�� W Association Hall of Fame, was named one of the 100 Most Influential Student Athletes in History by the NCAA, and recently learned that she will be receiving a Power of Sport Award from the Institute of Sport and Social Justice.

Alexander said being a student athlete at ������˾�� shaped her career. �The opportunity to participate in sport taught me a lot about building friendships and how to be a team player�the types of things that corporations are looking for in young women today,� she said.

The College also prepared Alexander well for graduate school, since she already had mastered research methods while doing Independent Study. But Alexander noted that ������˾�� gave her more than career and academic skills; her experience at the College also inspired her to commit her life to helping others. She said that the ������˾�� community cares about �how you carry yourself after you graduate and the types of things you do to give back to society. I don�t care what color you are; it�s important to be able to get along with everybody and make this world work.�

Photo by DeMario Howard

Posted in Alumni on August 8, 2023.