Nisky Student Creates Social Justice Platform for Athletes

by Jesse Levine

In late May 2020, Niskayuna High School senior Emma Anderson had many things on her mind. After the death of George Floyd on May 25th in Minneapolis, Anderson couldn’t stop thinking about the impacts that deeply rooted systemic racism has had on the U.S. She was also in the midst of the stressful college athlete recruitment process, made even more difficult by the coronavirus pandemic. Taking inspiration from these two important parts of her life, Anderson started thinking of new ways that other similarly passionate athletes could get involved in social justice movements and make their voices heard. The result was Athletes for Equal Rights, a platform she designed to “showcase the experiences of minority athletes as individuals, shed light on relevant social justice issues, and give meaning to statistics through physical activity.”

Despite having little experience with web design, Anderson initially began creating the website herself. Athletes for Equal Rights was initially created to make statistics based on social justice more tangible by integrating them into workouts. For instance, one workout included a 19 minute cardio session to represent the statistic “19% of African Americans say they have experienced discrimination when trying to vote or participate in politics.” However, the website has since evolved into a platform with stories from minority student athletes across the world, and with the help of classmates Rohan Menon and Jacob Yanoff, it has been transformed into an animated and interactive user experience, even featuring timelines chronicling the intersection of social justice and sports. Additionally, Penn State swimmer and Scotia-Glenville graduate Olivia Jack reached out to Anderson early in the development process, and has been a key part of the website’s success. Since its partnership with Penn State, Athletes for Equal Rights has worked with nearly 10 different university athletics programs, mainly through Niskayuna alumni. In addition, Anderson has joined forces with numerous social justice organizations with similar goals, such as Athletes Igniting Action and The Virago Project.

Anderson’s initiative comes at a time when sports and social justice have increasingly begun to intersect, and students at Niskayuna High School have definitely felt that shift over the past few years. Anderson herself notes that her initial passion for social justice was fueled by the conflict that occured two years ago at the Niskayuna High School vs Schenectady High School varsity soccer game. At the time, she was merely 14 years old, one of merely two sophomores on the team. Bystanders at the game reported that Niskayuna students hurled disgusting racial slurs at the Schenectady athletes. When recalling the events of that night, Anderson said, “It definitely made me more aware of the differences between Schenectady and Niskayuna, and how so much of that difference is because of funding.”

When asked about her ultimate goal for the platform, she responded with “my end goal is to tell as many stories as possible, and I want to make sure as many people as possible hear these stories”. She also hopes that hearing these stories and understanding these statistics will encourage her audience to continue thinking about and fighting for equality. Right now, there are roughly 35 stories on the Athletes for Equal Rights website, and even more on their Instagram through posts and Instagram takeovers. Anyone can get involved by direct messaging Athletes for Equal Rights’ Instagram page, @athletesforequalrights, or emailing athletes4equalrights@gmail.com.