GLENSIDE, Pa. - The Arcadia University Department of Athletics and Recreation will recognize Arcadia University's Martin Luther King Jr. week of celebration at the women's basketball game on Jan. 19 against Cabrini at 7 p.m. 

The women's basketball team will be wearing special warmup shirts, which will showcase a word that each member of the team believes reflects a collective commitment to justice and equality for all, an idea inspired by MLK's message.  

Prior to the start of the game and throughout Black History Month, the athletic department will play "Lift Every Voice and Sing," which is the official song of the NAACP, and harbors significant meaning in the context of the Civil Rights Movement.   

Below is the official statement that the Athletics Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee helped curate alongside the Office of Access, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, describing why the song will be played. This pamphlet will be distributed at the women's basketball game vs. Cabrini. 

Arcadia Athletics is committed to recognizing and celebrating diversity within our university community. Part of how our department aims to do this is by using our platform to highlight the contributions Black and other diverse voices have on our society. The Black National Anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," encapsulates a collective experience Black people in this country have faced through a history of racism, while also serving as a beacon of hope embodied by collective resilience and faith. We play this anthem as a part of Arcadia's MLK week of celebration and will continue throughout Black History Month to honor its significance to the Black community during the civil rights movement and beyond.