"I've Got Your Back" | Ella Matticks '21

By Ella Matticks '21

Ella Matticks is a member of the Wellesley College Lacrosse team from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I want to express solidarity with the Black athletic community, the Black students of Wellesley, the Black community in my home city of Minneapolis, and the Black citizens of this nation. My heart breaks for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, David McAtee, Ahmaud Arbery and many more Black lives that have been stolen by police brutality and racism. I stand with Black Lives Matter and those taking a stand across this country against these injustices.

The Black community needs teammates in the fight for racial justice. People they can rely upon to show up every day to put in the hard work. People that strive to improve, learn, and listen. As athletes we should easily understand that games cannot be won alone, and this movement is no different. This commitment to equality should be like our commitment to our teams, it is something bigger than ourselves. Caring, uplifting, and being there for our teammates does not stop after stepping off the field.

"As athletes we should easily understand that games cannot be won alone, and this movement is no different. This commitment to equality should be like our commitment to our teams, it is something bigger than ourselves."

Following the killing of George Floyd by four Minneapolis City Police Officers on May 25th, my home has cried in pain and been forced to experience the unacceptable loss of yet another Black man. It is in these times of grief that America is confronted with the reality of our Black friends, Black neighbors, and Black communities. The strength I have seen in Minneapolis and the Black community to make the issues of racial injustice and disparity rightfully heard across the world cultivates a sense of hope, relentlessness, and determination for change in this nation. However, without continued and collective action, these problems will not disappear when the headlines go away, the cameras stop recording, and there are no quotes to post on your page.

We must not let our ally-ship, activism, and solidarity stop when the media moves on and the protests happening today begin to quiet down. It is within the moments of seeming normality that we must still call on ourselves to be better teammates in the campaign to end the discrimination, abuse, and oppression against Black people in the United States. Therefore, myself and many others must continually ask ourselves if we are truly part of the team or just sitting on the sidelines.

Wellesley Athletics strives for excellence at the conference, regional, and national levels, while providing opportunities for students to achieve their potential and learn the values of discipline, leadership, critical thinking, and responsibility to oneself and others.