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Garden City, N.Y. -- Members of the Adelphi University community gathered to honor accomplishments of students and alumni of color, and the spirit of diversity and inclusion, on Thursday evening, as the athletic department held its 15th annual Black History Month Celebration in Campbell Lounge of the Center for Recreation and Sport.
The evening began with a warm welcome from Perry Greene, Adelphi's vice president for diversity and inclusion, before the annual Cecil K. Watkins memorial awards were presented to
Niajah Morgan of the women's basketball team and
Tavon Ginyard of the men's basketball team. The award, which is given annually to a male and female student-athlete of color who excels in the classroom and on the playing field, is named after alumnus and Adelphi Hall of Famer Cecil K. Watkins, who was dedicated to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs.
Following the presentation, William Dabney ('77) and Curtis Minnis ('77) presented a special award to Grady Faulkner ('75), the first president of the Adelphi Multicultural Alumni Chapter, which was founded in 2003, for his dedication and support of diversity at his alma mater.
After dinner, keynote speakers Mark Smith ('79) and Morgan Russell ('08) took the floor, offering insight into their Adelphi experiences and advice to the student-athletes in attendance as they took questions from emcee Dan Savarino. The duo captivated the audience with anecdotes of their time on the track and field teams, while simultaneously sharing words of wisdom about the student experience, getting involved and making the most of life after college.
"I didn't just love Adelphi; Adelphi loved me," Russell said, while Smith discussed the changes he's seen in the working world over the past 30 years, and added that current students should take advantage of all the opportunities that are currently available to them in order to pursue their dreams.
"The annual Black History Month Celebration was another great success," said Senior Associate Athletic Director
Kate Whalen, who presented the Cecil K. Watkins awards to Morgan and Ginyard. "It was great to welcome Mark and Morgan back to campus to share their experiences with all in attendance, as well as have them give advice to current student-athletes. alumni and the university community. We're proud to support this great event each February on campus."
About Adelphi Athletics:
Adelphi University joined the Northeast-10 Conference in the fall of 2009 and in the past seven seasons, has collected 20 regular season conference titles, 24 tournament championships, 29 individual crowns and captured the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup three times (2013, 2014, and 2016), while winning five NCAA Division II National Championships.
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