Issue 10: December 7, 2023 | |
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All of us at The Carnegie Initiative (The CI) will pause during the holiday season to give thanks for the progress being made to make hockey more inclusive and welcoming to all.
In this edition of the “Carnegie Corner,” we highlight the historic trailblazing moments of Laila Edwards and Luke Prokop. You will also learn about the great work being done by JJ Velez and Malik Garvin as they will unite two groups of inner-city kids for a magical time in Detroit over Martin Luther King Weekend. Our Q&A is with an amazing woman, Alexandria Briggs-Blake, who was one of the recipients of the inaugural Herbert Carnegie Trailblazer Award. Alex provides terrific insight as she continues to champion the need to break down barriers and open the game to a more diverse demographic.
As we turn the calendar to a new year, we focus on The CI Summit 2024, with a theme of “For the Love of the Game,” that precedes the NHL All-Star Game festivities in Toronto. We will convene a broad group of thought leaders, influencers, and organizations in a safer space to engage in substantive discussions about the progress and challenges related to changing the culture of the game. More information about The CI Summit 2024 can be found below.
We are deeply appreciative of all the individuals, companies, and other organizations that support our mission to “work to ensure that hockey is inclusive, supportive, and welcoming for all.” Last month, we published our 2022 Annual Report that showcased the progress we made in our first full year. In hindsight, we realized that an important event, “Transition Game,” and the presence of two partners – IG Wealth Management and the Greater Toronto Hockey League – were inadvertently omitted. The updated version of the annual report can be found here and resides on our website.
The new year has so much in store, and we are eager to move forward in our efforts to continue the work started by Herb Carnegie nearly 70 years ago. We look forward to seeing many of you at The CI Summit 2024 and staying connected with all of you.
In the meantime, we wish you a joyous and peaceful holiday season!
All our best,
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Bernice Carnegie & Bryant McBride
Co-Chairs
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The CI Summit 2024 - Registration Now Open!
The Carnegie Initiative (The CI) is excited to announce our third annual summit, themed “For the Love of the Game.” The topics will illuminate the joy many of us felt as kids, when skating, being active with our friends, and playing or watching hockey. We will also focus discussions on underrepresented minority identity experiences including those who identify as: Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, Persons with Disabilities, Women, those facing financial barriers, and others who have felt unwelcome or unloved in hockey spaces or culture.
The CI Summit 2024 aims to create a safer space for hockey lovers/leaders to engage in meaningful conversations about the progress, challenges, and actionable insights necessary for the ongoing growth of the culture and game of hockey.
The CI Summit 2024 will be held at the Hilton Downtown in Toronto, preceding the NHL All-Star Weekend on January 30-31, 2024. Individual ticket pricing is $249 CAD. The most up-to-date information about The CI Summit 2024 schedule, speakers, and registration can be found at www.CarnegieInitiative.com/Summit/
Individual Ticket Pricing is $249*
Register Now!
#CISummit2024
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Bernice Carnegie Inspires Audience at Luncheon
The CI Co-Chair Bernice Carnegie was among the featured speakers at a luncheon held at The Penalty Box at Scotiabank Pond on November 14, 2023. Bernice inspired the audience with her remarks at the monthly gathering.
The “Original 6” Luncheon was established in the 1980s. It attracts up to a hundred attendees that include former NHL players, hockey personalities, players and coaches from a variety of leagues, scouts, referees, hockey authors, researchers, and fans. Bernice’s late father Herb, the legendary Hall of Famer and social justice icon, was a regular at the event.
The trailer for the spectacular documentary, “Beyond Their Years” that chronicles the parallel lives lived by Herb Carnegie and baseball legend Buck O’Neil was shown to the crowd prior to Bernice speaking. She spoke passionately about her father’s beginnings in hockey that provided him a love for the game. Bernice also shared about her father’s many achievements and his strong will, determination, and a mindset never to give up and how those virtues influenced her life.
Bernice talked about the impact and importance of her father being recognized with his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2022. She noted that it was his 14th hall of fame acclamation.
She closed by encouraging everyone, regardless of age, that they can continue to make a difference.
“Bernice moves mountains... and those who listen to her powerful oratory!” shared one attendee.
|  | Bernice Carnegie addresses the crowd as host Jim Tatti looks on during a recent "Original Six" Luncheon in Toronto. (Photo: Dan Bodanis) |
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Laila Edwards Blazes Trail as First Black Woman to Play for U.S. National Team
History was made in the women’s game last month as Laila Edwards became the first Black woman to play for the United States’s senior national hockey team. The 19-year-old Wisconsin Badgers sophomore debuted for the U.S. in the “Rivalry Series” against Canada on November 17.
Edwards, a native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, skated on the second line alongside Abby Roque, who last year was the first Indigenous woman to play for the U.S. women’s hockey team in the Olympics, and her Wisconsin teammate Britta Curl.
Roque said about Edwards’ impact, “I'm super proud of her. It’s a big deal. She should be proud of this moment and proud that little girls will look on the ice in Los Angeles and on the TV, and there is a Black woman on the ice. That is a huge piece for hockey. That’s where it needs to go. Hockey needs to be so much more inclusive.”
Edwards was the only American player on the roster to make their debut in the series, further signifying just how special of a moment it was. She shared that her groundbreaking debut will help spark the next generation of Black hockey players. “It’s about time,” she said. “Now young girls can look at the highest level and see someone that looks like that. It adds extra motivation and inspiration. I like to be a role model for anyone, but more specifically for young people of colour.”
She has already started to stack up quite the resume on the ice. The forward won Most Valuable Player at the 2022 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship and was nominated for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Rookie of the Year award in her first year at Wisconsin. She has also started her sophomore season strong, tallying 18 points in her first 12 games for the Badgers.
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"I like to be a role model for anyone, but more specifically for young people of colour.” - Laila Edwards |
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“The Big Apple to the Motor City Tour” Scheduled for MLK Weekend
Ice Hockey in Harlem (IHIH) and The Clark Park Coalition of Southwest Detroit have announced that 20 to 30 players, coaches, and chaperones from Harlem will travel by bus to Detroit over Martin Luther King holiday weekend next month. The group will engage with players and coaches from Detroit in scrimmages, community service, and other activities.
“The Big Apple to the Motor City Tour” will take place from Friday, January 12 through Monday, January 15, 2024. Players from Harlem and Detroit will also visit Detroit area museums, universities, and cultural centers together. In addition, they will hear from a distinguished list of people who have broken barriers and fought for inclusion in ice hockey.
“Our enrichment programs are centered around education,” IHIH Executive Director Malik Garvin shared. “We also run homework help. And, last but not least, we run a college exploration series which is aimed at exposing kids to higher education. And first and foremost, we do that by getting kids on college campuses, having them have conversations with current students, taking a look around and seeing what it feels like. And this Michigan trip is a layup for many reasons.”
Ice Hockey in Harlem was founded at Lasker Rink on the northern edge of Central Park in 1987. Founders Dave Wilk, Todd Levy, and former New York Ranger Pat Hickey and other volunteers taught classroom sessions where players studied math, reading, and geography using hockey cities and statistics as teaching tools. In exchange for full participation, players gained one night on ice each week. The group’s overall mission is to improve the social and academic well-being of children from the Harlem community. Levy still serves as chairman of the board for IHIH, which now has a total of 170 participants.
Planning the MLK weekend events has been made smoother by the fact that JJ Velez, Board President of IHIH, is the former Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Detroit.
“It just made sense to try to connect both our organizations, which have been around for 20 or 30 plus years, that are doing simultaneous work within their communities to diversify the game.”
Both Velez and Garvin are IHIH alumni. Velez joined the program as a player in its second year of existence. Garvin started when he was just five years old.
“This trip will bring like-minded kids of color together who are in different geographies, but have similar experiences on and off the ice,” Velez explained. “When you see individuals who look like you, who play the same game as you, and you can have and share a meal and talk about those things, it bridges the gaps.”
The Clark Park Coalition of Southwest Detroit exists to provide an array of diverse, high-quality recreational, educational, social and mentoring programs for southwest Detroit families promoting skills development which helps youth grow into responsible, self-confident adults.
Velez hopes to surpass the targeted goal for fundraising this year, so a fund can be established to support the Ice Hockey in Harlem/Clark Park Coalition exchange into the future, with a group from Detroit traveling to Harlem next year.
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Ice Hockey in Harlem Board President JJ Velez talks about his love for hockey and the upcoming “The Big Apple to the Motor City Tour.”
Click on image to watch video.
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The Aspen Institute recently published its annual “State of Play 2003” report.
Overall, children are playing team sports less regularly in America. Although the trend started before the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic, statistics seem to show it may have accelerated the drop even more.
However, the report also pointed out that participation is on the rise for girls but on a decline for boys. According to data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), 40 percent of boys regularly played sports in 2022 compared to 50 percent in 2013. Girls’ participation in sports in 2022 rose to 35% which is the highest rate since 2013.
Full report
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Q&A: Alexandria Briggs-Blake |
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Alexandria Briggs-Blake is the President of the Tucker Road Parent Hockey Organization (TRPHO) and mother of former Tucker Road Ducks players. The Tucker Road Ducks are a predominantly African American ice hockey team in Maryland that suffered a devastating fire in 2017, which left their rink destroyed and their team without a place to play. Alexandria used her passion for hockey to rally her community together to build a new rink. She was a recipient of the inaugural Herb Carnegie Trailblazer Award in 2023.
CI: What strategies can be applied within minority communities to encourage youth to play hockey?
AB-B: The following strategies can be applied: 1) Reach out and partner with the Parks & Rec Department. 2) Gain the support of leaders and officials within minority communities. They have a greater reach and can help provide info to more people in the community. 3) Forming partnerships with the school district's superintendent is essential. Once the superintendent is on board, they can filter information throughout all the community schools. Besides, schools are where all the kids are. 4) If there is a pro hockey team in the area, reach out to their Youth Hockey Development for their support and hockey fans. It takes a level of tenacity, professionalism, and tact to ensure you receive the intended outcome(s).
CI: How do we make BIPOC hockey registration more accessible?
AB-B: Break down barriers to the sport by securing sponsorships for scholarships and grants. Meet people where they are. Partner with Boys & Girls Clubs and gain support from current and former players as allies to conduct outreach to help grow the game. Much of it is grassroots work. More stakeholders need to work together instead of in silos.
CI: How vital is it for youth BIPOC and minority hockey players to see diverse representation in the highest levels of hockey?
AB-B: It is incredibly vital, and representation matters. When kids see people who look like them, they can believe it. I want to see more diverse representation in the NHL (players, coaches, refs, general managers, and owners). Our youth and others may be discouraged from getting involved and/or lose interest if they do not see themselves represented.
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CI: Was there a particular instance in your life you recall as the moment you fell in love with hockey?
AB-B: I grew up watching all sports with my two older brothers/cousins, so I have always loved sports. I fell in love with hockey when going to Washington Capitals games and when my son started playing ice hockey at a very young age, and he loves it. He is now a junior playing college hockey. My two daughters grew up ice skating, which is probably why their baby brother took to the ice. I went from being a hockey mom to breaking down barriers as a hockey advocate and becoming a resource for others to increasing BIPOC representation at the youth level through my work with the Tucker Road Ducks to leading an effort to raise $28MM to rebuild our ice rink that we lost in a fire. Every little bit helps! We are doing our part to grow ice hockey and build the pipeline of BIPOC players for the future of the sport.
CI: What are the most immediate challenges The CI must focus on to see more progress in making the sport more inclusive and welcoming to all?
AB-B: It is a constant struggle to grow the sport in a diverse, equitable, and inclusive way, and we should not sugar-coat it. The movement starts gaining traction and slows down (like a rollercoaster). Continuing to highlight, celebrate, and recognize people/organizations doing the work is key, as well as remembering all those who paved the way. I realize the push for DE&I takes time and is always ongoing, but I am somewhat impatient and want equality now - why not now? It is uncomfortable for some, but that's okay. Constant education and training is critical.
CI: What are you reading at present, and what book(s) would you recommend for others involved in making hockey more inclusive and accepting?
AB-B: I am reading “Jing-Si Aphorisms,” words compiled from dialogues between Master Cheng Yen and her disciples or visitors. It is written in short verses, and the aphorisms are guidelines that Master Cheng is practicing.
I recommend the following books: 1) "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations about Race;” 2) “A Fly in a Pail of Milk: The Herb Carnegie Story;” 3) “Holding Fast to Dreams;” 4) “Black Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895-1925; 5) "Black Ice: The Val James Story;" 6) “A History of the African American Athlete;” 7) “Breaking The Ice;” 8) “Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL’s First Black Player;” and 9) “Hockey Moms, The Heart of the Game.”
Note: Alex’s suggested reads have been added to the “Carnegie Library” on our website.
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Calendar
January 30-31, 2024 - The CI Summit 2024 in Toronto, Ontario. Information & Registration.
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Help Blaze the Trail
The CI gratefully appreciates donations, large and small, that help us with our mission: “Work to ensure that hockey is inclusive, supportive, and welcoming to all.”
Please consider a tax-deductible donation today.
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Prokop became the first openly gay player to appear in a game in the AHL when he made his debut in mid-November with the Milwaukee Admirals. |
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