ANNOUNCER: Now is the time to blaze new trails with drive and determination.

WOMAN: We can compete and still love one another.

ANNOUNCER: Journey through the history of Historically Black Colleges and Universities where the foundation for equality was laid, scientific breakthroughs were made, and the spirit of peaceful protest was born.

Now is the time.

"HBCU Week Now" check us out on YouTube at “HBCU Week Now.” ETIENNE THOMAS: You talk about way back when, when you had things like the AIAW, and sports was really just getting started for women, and it was women coaching women 100% and playing the sport at the highest level.

And then we merged with the NCAA, and it kind of changed and evolved what we were.

But we started as play dates, what you would think about for children.

But women were having play dates a lot in the sport of field hockey.

But also, when you think about basketball and you think about way back when, the peach basket, you know, women have always played this at the highest level.

ARLENE CREEK: When I was a student-athlete playing basketball, I played with six people.

So we played half-court.

So it was three forwards and three guards, and you could not cross the half-court line.

It wasn't until the early 70s that it transformed into five players.

Yet we didn't have the three-point shot, and they were still achieving 1,000 points in a career.

And so you look at how we've now evolved, and then across all platforms, there's really no sport that exists now that women can't play.

But back then, you needed permission, you needed someone else to say it was okay, or you did it almost in secret.

And now you think about where we're at and little girls, it's just natural.

Which sport would you like to play?

So you think about the trailblazers that have come along the way and said, “You know what?

We did the hard work.

So now you have this opportunity.” You think about history, and we're talking about telling HerStory.

That's exactly what we're doing is talking about how we evolve from way back when, women coaching women, 100% women, to now we talk about inclusion and opportunity, but on every corner, you have an opportunity as a little girl, as a woman, to be engaged in playing the game.

Now we have women's wrestling, we now have flag football that will go not only into college, but into the Olympics.

So we continue to evolve, but there's work to be done.

But we've come a long way.

JACQIE MCWILLIAMS-PARKER: I love the theme, a magical canvas.

And I asked a, a coach the other day how his experience was, that he said, “It's magical.” And I said, “Like Disney?” And he said, “CIAA is magical.” So the theme aligns with the emotion and the feeling that I've had this entire week about what we are doing in this community.

I couldn't thank Baltimore and the state of Maryland enough for how they've invested and helped us make huge impact in this community.

But I also am very thankful for the leadership of this conference.

Can the presidents that are in here please stand?

And we have six women presidents at our institutions.

And the first ladies of our institutions, first ladies of our institutions, that holds up our president on their end.

So, ladies, let me say this to you today, despite what's going on in the world, you are in a magical week with the CIAA.

We have an opportunity to make a difference every single day, energy in this community.

And if you were in the building last night to midnight, you're probably tired like me, but we are here celebrating the game of basketball, and it's because of the game.

That's why we're here.

So we need everyone in that building this afternoon.

We need you in the building this weekend, Saturday.

We are going to pack out the arena for that final game, for that women's game, and we need you all to be present there.

So please celebrate our women and our teams that are still here.

Thank you so much, our kings and queens that are here.

Thank you so much.

Look, we do a whole lot.

Y'all have no idea from a whole week of how we're mobilizing the CIAA to be in this community, and I'm grateful for that, and our partners.

DR. AMINTA BREAUX: Congratulations to each and every one of you for what you do throughout the year.

I want to add my thanks and appreciation, uh, to the leadership here in the city of Baltimore, to Mayor Brandon Scott, of course, and our as just extraordinary Governor Wes Moore.

And for all the leaders, Al Hutchinson and others, who have made all of this possible.

It is truly, uh, an honor to be before you today for this incredible gathering where we uplift and celebrate and recognize the power of women in athletics, leadership, and beyond.

FAN: You let one presser go to the right!

That's a no-go!

(cheering and applause).

ETIENNE: There is no place like the CIAA, like there's a lot of conferences.

People may say there's bigger conferences.

There's no place like the CIAA, and I say that every year.

It's such a special and magical place.

So you run into the Sheryl Swoopes.

That is awesome.

You know, I was just talking to Charlie Neil, who tried to come in yesterday in all black.

I said, Charlie, you cannot hide.

I mean, that's not how this works.

We know that.

I have the pleasure and privilege of sitting court side because I'm chair of our tournament committee.

It's amazing to see the who's who that continues to progress as the week goes on.

But I serve at Winston-Salem State.

So the legacy of C.E.

Gaines is amazing.

And so when I was a young collegiate, I would come to the tournament and that's who I would see.

And now it evolves.

And so you see the Ben Wallace's that come back, and they come and celebrate.

You see the mayor of a town in West Virginia, that's being inducted today, who went to Virginia Union, that's amazing.

And then you see those people who have no tie to the CIAA, the who's who... especially in black America, the celebrities that will be here between today and tomorrow, and it's amazing.

But they're here and walking the halls, and you have access.

But what's really important is that our student athletes have that access, and they see that I can go from being a student athlete at a HBCU that I chose to being whoever I want to be in the future.

BRANDON SCOTT: Listen, we we're talking about historic time and really a historic time at the right time.

We have a, a fabulous commissioner in Jacqie McWilliams-Parker, who played in the CIAA, and now she's shepherding the whole CIAA as we celebrate 50 years of the women's tournament and “HerStory”, right?

And at a time when we know that women's basketball, uh, many people who are late to the game, unlike me, understand that women's basketball is the purest form of the sport right now.

And seeing that be able to be amplified for all of our young women that are playing the game, but especially here in the CIAA, to celebrate that Black history, that Black culture, the Black grit, and our Black women athletes who have paved the way for anybody and any woman that's picking up a basketball is a great thing.

♪ ♪ ARLENE: Well, I think right now, it, it has come a long ways from when Bowie State first went into the CIAA in the early 80s So, from that point on, I've, I've seen them adding sports for the women, as, as bowling, and in the fall, they're gonna start with the club sport with flag football for women.

When I was playing, and this was nationwide, um, we would just call it like a play day, and we would go to a university or to a college, and whatever sport it was, it could have been field hockey, basketball, volleyball, or whatever.

And there would be several teams there.

And we would just play all day, different teams.

And then at the end of the day, we would have what they call like a little social with some cookies and tea.

But now it is expanded into one sport at a time.

And it's like one game at a time when you go to different universities.

And the same thing with the WNBA.

We've gone from just to college into professional leagues.

DR. BREAUX: Well, I've been in higher education for a little while now, let's just say over 30 years.

And what has truly shaped, uh, my journey has been the inspiration I've derived from my family, who value higher education so very much.

It was never asked of myself or my siblings whether or not we would go on to college.

It was just expected that we understood the value of education.

My father was an educator, as well as a track and field coach of Olympic athletes.

So he inspired all of us to run a good race and finish the race.

Well, I think sports, uh, is so valuable for helping young people to develop amazing skills, leadership skills, communication skills, the ability to work as part of a team, and most importantly, resilience.

Because not everyone can win, right?

And so there are those failures, and you learn how to fail, but you get up quickly, and you have to get back in there.

You don't stay down too long, and it's up to you to get across that finish line.

So somehow you dig down deep and you find that strength and you get across.

Now, you may not always be first, but you get across the line, and that's what I was taught.

You gotta finish.

If you have to crawl, walk, or whatever you're gonna do, you're gonna get over the finish lines.

Uh, our athletic program is very, very strong, long history of competition.

And you know, the CIAA is about, you know, that competition, but it's also about the love that we show to each other.

We, we talk stuff on the sidelines and, um, you know, when we're watching our student athletes.

But at the end of the day, it's all about the camaraderie and the love that our HBCUs feel for one another because we're all about lifting up each one of our institutions, making sure that we're successful so our student athletes can have opportunity.

So, for Bowie State University, you know, this is also a special year for us.

We're celebrating 160 years of our founding.

Being founded in the city of Baltimore, where we're, uh, hosting the CIAA basketball tournament.

So it means a great deal for us because this is about our history coming back to our roots, where we started on the corner of Calvert and Saratoga Streets in Baltimore City.

So it's a full of excitement, a sense of responsibility for the legacy and those who came before.

And ensuring that this generation, uh, across not just our athletic programs, but across the city of Baltimore and throughout the state, know about this history, of rich, rich history of sports, but also preparing young people to go out into the world from our institutions, contributing back to their communities.

And for us as, uh, BSU, it means a lot that we're back in the city of Baltimore, where we are giving back.

You know, the CIAA also prides ourself on making sure our students are doing service activities while they're going through the tournament during that week, making sure that they're out in the city, they're participating with Samaritan's Feet, where we're giving shoes to young people in, in need.

And so it means a lot for us to carry on that legacy of giving back to our community.

MCWILLIAMS-PARKER: Yeah, without partners and sponsorships and relationships, it just doesn't happen.

Like, you know, our championships are, it's our jewel, right?

And it's not just basketball, football, you know, uh, track and field, like those are major, but basketball has been kind of the center of the attention.

It's the place where the kings and queens get to come, right?

That's a sponsor we gotta sponsor to help support that.

Coca-Cola, um, Food Lion, they've been a partner with us over 32 years, I believe.

Like, we have these longstanding partnerships.

So it's not like they come and go, like historically we've been connected in a way to identify ways to make impact and give visibility.

Nationwide has been with us almost 20 years, like, and they're giving scholarship funds that go back into our, back to our institutions and students.

So these partnerships are so unique because they allow for new opportunities.

And like UA this year, that partnership allowed us to celebrate the 50th anniversary in a very special way.

They did unique uniforms for our women athletes.

They did gear for both the men's and women's programs.

Um, they give out two internships for our students.

So the relationship is beyond just the shoe and the apparel.

It has opened up doors for our students and also visibility for both partners.

TODD LOCKLEAR: Uh, my name is Todd Locklear, and I represent Under Armour.

Nobody does hospitality the way, the way Charm City does it.

So it's, uh, if, if you go to the games, you know, during the week, the energy, right when you walk in the door, it, it smacks you in the face.

And, you know, they've given, you know, us the opportunity to, you know, give access to the teammates here in Baltimore to, to also experience that.

And I think the, the message is positive and it, it's something that is extremely energetic and, and it, you know, thrives off of the culture that we have here.

At Under Armour, we don't like to say that we're from Baltimore, but of Baltimore.

You know, we were born on the field in College Park at the flagship university of the state of Maryland, University of Maryland.

And you know, we kind of, we have that same underdog lunch pail mentality, you know, grit, hardworking, you know, where we're just gonna outwork all of our competition.

So I think, I think we, uh, you know, we take a lot of inspiration from the city and the, the city takes a lot back from us.

It goes way beyond the, the uniforms and the footwear and the apparel.

Uh, we've really delved into, you know, comprehensive programming that, that really tries to enrich the lives of, of all of these student athletes at the CIAA, it gave us an opportunity to, you know, work with a very prestigious HBCU conference.

Um, and we've kind of taken that and ran with it.

You know, Commissioner, uh, McWilliams-Parker, I call her “Miss Jacqie.” Like, she's, she's been literally one of one of the best partners that we've had with Under Armour.

You know, my group, my group oversees the strategy, uh, you know, from all of our colleges from Notre Dame all the way down.

And I gotta say the engagement, you know, with the CIAA is on par with, with some of those universities.

And Miss Jacqie, she's a, she's a trailblazer in the space.

Uh, she's been fantastic to work with, and she brings a lot of that energy, you know, that the, that the CIAA is known for, they get that from their leader.

We treat the CIAA, like a tier one partnership, um, you know, all of the student athletes that come through here for the tournament, you know, receive a tournament package, which is, you know, one of our marquee, you know, you know, footwear styles, you know, a custom shooter shirt, a bag, you know, so everybody's coming through here to get that.

This year we actually had them come through the new office to pick that up, you know, and, and we had a, a shopping experience set up for 'em to really let them, you know, get a peek under the tent of what Under Armour's all about.

This year was a little specific just because it was the 50th anniversary of the women's tournament.

So we were worked with our design team and developed home and away, you know, women's basketball uniforms, custom to the CIAA.

They were on display throughout the week of the tournament.

I, I think the young ladies really liked the look and feel of them, and they showed up fantastic on the court.

One of the oldest HBCU conferences in the United States.

You know, we look back on that legacy and I think it ties into to us, you know, with being a young brand, we're all about, we're all about giving back, making athletes better, giving access to everybody.

It's important to that aspect to be able to identify ourselves with, you know, with some conferences like the CIAA.

DR. BREAUX: Painting HerStory.

Well, I am the first woman to serve in this position as president of Bowie State University, and I wanna make sure I'm not the last.

And so with the CIAA celebrating our women and women's basketball for 50 years, again, it's about making sure others know this, this history empowering women to say, I can do that too.

So we're really excited to be able to celebrate 50 years of women's, uh, basketball as part of the CIAA.

I also look at another, uh, exemplar, and that is our leader, our commissioner, Jacqie McWilliams-Parker.

She's truly an inspiring leader.

She has a long and rich history in basketball.

She played for Hampton University, and so she's part of a championship and Hall of Fame team.

So she too helps tell that story so that other young women can say, “Wow, if she did that, and now she's running the entire operation, what can I do?” So this is an exciting year to celebrate 50 years of women's basketball as part of the CIAA.

MCWILLIAMS-PARKER: I am a Rocky Mountain girl.

I was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado at Fort Carson.

My dad was in the military.

I'm 56, so think about in 1972 when Title IX became an important piece of written legislation to allow women to have access to education.

And then sports became a part of that, right?

I was a little girl.

I remember my mother had me so active, and I don't know if she knew about Title IX, I just know that I played everything.

I bowled.

I was a gymnast.

I jumped rope, I skated, I did all the things, activities, and we moved so much so I never could just land.

But I remember when I lived in California, they didn't have organized sports.

They had track, you can join the track club, and them women could run really fast.

And I thought I was fast until I got out there with them.

But it was competitive.

I graduated from high school in Colorado Springs, but because of the military, we've lived in Germany, Southern California, and then back to Colorado.

My family's from Mississippi.

Um, so that's the southern roots where I spent all my summers when I was not in the locations that we lived.

Very country girl in a sense.

But I, I love the city.

So I had a chance to, to explore and travel a lot as a kid, folks would say, how did you come from Colorado all the way to Virginia?

Um, we didn't have the internet in the same way.

So it was encyclopedias and looking on the maps.

Um, and working with my vice principal, who is from New York, um, and really encouraged me to think about going to an HBCU.

My family's a southern, they're southern, so they're a SWAC family, Jackson State, Southern University, Alabama State.

Um, but I wanted to go somewhere different, and I wanted to be by the water.

I'm a water girl.

Living in Southern California gave me that love for the ocean.

And so being at Hampton, the home by the sea, and then I heard they had this amazing basketball team, um, and I had a chance to walk on their teams.

1987, and I graduated in 1991.

I played two sports, played volleyball as well.

I was a walk-on for volleyball.

So I didn't even have a scholarship.

I did have scholarship offers.

Um, I came out as one of the top players in Colorado, but I didn't want to go to a majority White school, I wanted to go to a Black college.

And so I asked my parents if they would give me the opportunity to go to Hampton, I'd work hard to get a scholarship, and if I didn't, then I would figure it out.

And so they helped me my freshman year, and then I earned a scholarship.

We won the national championship.

So, as we celebrated this 50th anniversary of the CIAA, what a delight to be a part of that experience.

Uh, there's only been three women's team to ever win a national championship.

There were three “Jackies” on the team.

I was “Little Jack,” I was a freshman.

I know how hard it is to win in this conference.

Now, when I played at Hampton, we were 33-1.

We won a national championship.

We were kicking people's tails by 20 and 30 points.

Well, one game we lost, we lost in the CIAA, to Virginia State.

And then when we played them in the first round, we kicked their tails.

Like, just like that.

You're battling, you're battling with yourself, you're battling with your team, and you're battling what's on the court.

I, I just wanted to play.

I don't ever think I thought about like, legacy or what that would look like.

I just wanted to play ball.

I wanted to go to college.

And so to go there and play, like for me, I'd be the first, there's two, my sister and I, she's deceased, but I would be the first of my parents to go to college.

So I'm a first generation for my parents to actually go to college and get a master's degree.

So when you think about legacy, like I got to do something different from my family, yeah.

I'm a woman of faith, so I know God has always been on my journey, even when I stepped off the path.

And I do believe that when I saw that this position could be an opportunity, I actually prayed.

I asked God to be like, this was my dream job.

And I'm serious when I tell people, I told 'em I had my suits picked before the job was ever open.

I knew exactly what I would wear on the first interview if they selected me.

And I knew exactly what I would wear and how I dreamt about the arrangement of the room.

And it actually was the arrangement of the room and what I wore to actually be in this role, and know that I dreamt about it and spoke it in existence is pretty wild to me.

Sometimes I'm still like, am I dreaming?

Like, am I really the commissioner of this conference?

But it never was about being the first for me, it was always having the opportunity to lead in a space that I got to play in.

I wanted to give our student athletes the same and a better experience that I had in playing in the CIAA.

And I wanted to be able to make a difference, not just for the conference, but across the world, and have a voice in that, and to advocate in a way that I know not many of us get a seat at the table.

And I did.

I think my experience working in college sports, working at the NCAA, working at the highest level of championships from the NCAA, Men's Final Four, Women's Final Four, and then all the other Olympic championships gave me the love for event management and planning.

It doesn't matter what the sport is, it's really about creating life experiences for people.

So I think moving all the times that I've moved, growing up in the places that I've grown up, it's always been about the experience, the culture in the community, and CIAA and being in this job has allowed me to embrace all of what I love so much about who I am as a woman, who I am as a Black woman, who I am in the HBCU space, but just who I am as a human being.

This position, when I first started, you all heard I was the first and the only for Division One, Two, and Three.

Never thought about it.

There are seven of us now.

Like that, to me, is like everything.

And they're all my mentees and my friends.

And I like to think all seven of 'em, maybe six of 'em, I coached them in their positions, right?

I gave them everything they needed.

Like I had like, take it, take my presentation, make it on your own.

You know, let's talk about the interview.

You know, this is your conf... My conference is very different than this conference.

But let's, let's talk about and strategize.

And we're connected.

We check on each other, we celebrate each other.

I hope the legacy is that we just won't be the last.

It's not an option anymore.

Like, we gotta keep bringing folks with us.

And I think part of it is staying in this field or even sustaining in this position, it's hard.

Um, especially if you're trying to juggle family.

You wanna have family.

I mean, it, it takes, it takes a lot of good people around you in order to sustain the mental, physical, and spiritual grounding.

Um, because CIAA takes a lot.

Um, but it's, it's my dream and I owe it back a lot, as much as it's given me.

And so you've gotta be able, not everybody's built for this.

And I say that all the time.

You just, you gotta be built for this work.

'cause this is a place where it's not just about the sport, it's really about the cultural relevance and connection and historical legacy that people have connected themselves to this conference.

And I'm the gatekeeper.

That's my responsibility.

And so I don't ever want to be the last, I always want to create footprints where young people can see themselves sitting in this seat and being the same blessing or more of the opportunity.

I don't ever want to take this for granted.

I never, I'm so humbled to be in this space.

♪ ♪ ANNOUNCER: Now is the time to blaze new trails with drive and determination.

WOMAN: We can compete and still love one another.

ANNOUNCER: Journey through the history of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, where the foundation for equality was laid, scientific breakthroughs were made, and the spirit of peaceful protest was born.

Now is the time.

“HBCU Week Now,” check us out on YouTube at “HBCU Week Now.”