Sports
Today’s guest is Darrice Griffin. Griffin is Deputy Director of Athletic Administration at the University of Georgia. A former NCAA Division I basketball player at Texas Tech University, Griffin shares her experiences of growing up in small town Texas to a teenage mother. She talks about the “village” of women – mother, aunts, and grandmother – that daily modeled and taught her that being a strong black woman meant being focused, persistent, and persevering through all challenges. Some of the early messages she received from her village are, “You have to be ten times better than everyone else.” “You have to be better and you cannot take a day off. . . and you will have your opportunities.” Griffin’s young career has been filled with social activism for gender equality and diversity and inclusion issues. She feels that she has an obligation within her realm of influence in the athletic world to advocate for diversity and inclusion issues. Griffin talks about how there are regional and institutional differences on how diversity and inclusion is perceived and accepted or rejected. She advises young professionals that having advocates and sponsors is just as important, if not more important, as having mentors. Griffin defines the difference between mentors, advocates, and sponsors. Hear her story. Produced by the Institute For Sport & Social Justice (ISSJ). Hosted by Mat Edelson, journalist and producer having appeared on NPR, ABC, ESPN, and in Houghton-Mifflin’s annual series, “The Best American Sports Writing.” “See Us Now – Invisible Women In Sport”