When he was an undergraduate at Chapman, Justin Riley, the associate director of Student Community Support and Development, was known for his play on the basketball court. As a junior in 2010, he was named Division III Player of the Year, averaging 15 points a game. 

What he wasn’t known for, however, was any kind of political activism. But now, as an alumnus, the script has been completely flipped.

Riley worked with Dean of Students Jerry Price in 2019 to create his current staff position. Its primary goal is to support Black students and help them achieve success throughout their undergraduate tenure, he said. One of Riley’s objectives is to bolster the enrollment of African American students at Chapman. He’s also the club adviser for the Black Student Union (BSU), where he provides any assistance or guidance for their operations. 

He’s been quite busy, as Chapman University has experienced a number of racially questionable incidents in the past year.

“After I watched the fallout from the (Dayton Kingery) incident that took place last spring, I was no longer willing to sit as an idle alum on the sideline,” Riley said. “I was ready to jump in the trenches and do the work myself, and collaborate with individuals on campus who have the power to make change.”

Riley’s unrest is shared by Isaiah Jeannot, a sophomore and member of the men’s basketball team. Jeannot, who started the Seattle Change Coalition – a group based in his hometown that organizes protests and aggregates resources for the Black Lives Matter movement – has been paying attention to Chapman administration’s response to law professor John Eastman’s controversial opinion piece on California Sen. Kamala Harris’ ability to run for vice president of the United States.

“I remember President (Daniele) Struppa released an email saying how Chapman is for diversity and inclusion,” Jeannot said. “But when a professor said something targeted toward a Black woman that’s misogynistic, it’s a time a president should go against what was said.”

On a larger scale, basketball has been on the forefront of athletic leagues and teams promoting change across America. On Aug. 26, the Milwaukee Bucks, the NBA team closest to Jacob Blake’s shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, addressed the media to state they would not play that day’s playoff game in protest of police brutality and systemic oppressions faced by the Black community. 

As members of Chapman’s overarching basketball community that remain committed to activism, Riley and Jeannot were both impressed by the stance taken by players. In particular, Jeannot noted that many players – being part of leagues that employ predominantly Black athletes – have a perspective and platform that can have a significant impact.

“When they go home and with their family, they’re Black,” Jeannot said. “LeBron James is a Black man and he has been a Black man longer than he has been a basketball player, so he has more knowledge about being a Black man in America than he does about basketball.”

However, Riley believes there’s plenty more that can be done in the future to make a stronger statement.

“Something I would like to see further is athletes with large contracts using their own salaries or endorsement money to cover the cost of a game check for individuals who may not be able to actively (protest) in the same way,” Riley said.

If athletes everywhere continue to protest and fight for social justice, Riley believes there can be substantial progress made towards equality, but he said that can only start with dialogue.

“We all don’t agree, and we all don’t need to agree,” Riley said. “The important thing is if you don’t agree with someone, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t actively engage in dialogue with them … what it means is we’re going to try to listen to both sides and make a collaborative decision.”