One of the defining elements of 2017 was the rise of the #MeToo movement, which garnered a lot of attention after sexual harassment allegations were leveled against one of Hollywood’s most powerful figures – Harvey Weinstein.
Since then, scores upon scores of women spoke up and told their stories of how they endured sexual assault/harassment in their lives, including the WNBA’s Layshia Clarendon and Breanna Stewart. “The Silence Breakers,” as they were termed by TIME Magazine, were even named its 2017 Person of the Year.
Earlier this month, former WNBA president Val Ackerman, who is now commissioner of the Big East conference, took part in a meeting of the Anti-Defamation League’s Sports Leadership Council. Along with Ackerman, Venus Williams, Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred also took part.
They addressed this issue during a meeting in New York but have yet to announce any concrete initiatives, according to the Associated Press.
One of the aims of the group is to see how addressing sexual misconduct issues plays a role in addressing the larger climate which has permeated today’s sports landscape. This includes the rise of social activism among athletes – an area that WNBA players have been anything but shy on as of late.
One of the things it allows the group to partake in is sharing experiences and brainstorming ideas as well as highlighting what players, coaches, executives, teams, and leagues are doing to combat this problem.
(Original Story: Chicago Tribune)
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
