Guests entered through the tall glass doors of the Waldorf Astoria hotel in downtown Washington, D.C., submerged in the symphony of live music and the all-familiar sound of infinite, simultaneous conversations.

The crowd appeared in suits and gowns ranging from vibrant colors to darker tones. The purple-illuminated pre-ceremony ballroom had a chandelier that could be seen from the entrance and a detailed tan and gray patterned rug.

Attendees gathered Saturday evening for the Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.’s Impact Gala to celebrate award recipients for work aligning with the organization’s initiatives. One of the recipients was a group of men familiar to Howard: Coach Kenneth Blakeney and the Howard men’s basketball team. 

Every season, Blakeney challenges the players to think of a social justice project that aligns with activism. During the 2022 to 2023 season, spearheaded by former guard Jelani Williams, the team chose Black maternal health issues due to the then-recent reversal of Roe v. Wade and the statistics of birthing disparities of Black women compared to women of other races. 

The team began their project with educational opportunities, attending the Congressional Black Caucus and the National Women’s Law Center. The Bison also partnered with Mamatoto Village during their Martin Luther King Weekend of Service.

During the service event, the Bison packaged pregnancy care kits, sorted storage units and organized baby clothes for expecting mothers alongside volunteers from Capitol Hill, The White House and Howard.

At halftime of the team’s game against Morehouse College on Martin Luther King Day, two scholarships were awarded to Howard student-mothers pursuing their degree.

The Bison have been recognized for their advocacy regarding Black maternal health issues and added another award to their collection: the Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Inc.’s Catalyst Award.

“There’s still more work to be done,” said Bryce Harris, a senior marketing major from Long Island, New York, and guard for the Bison. “But it’s great to be recognized in a positive light in your community.”

The Bison did not choose Black maternal health issues expecting praise and awards. They did it because they wanted to pour back into the D.C. community by bringing attention to issues that directly impact those around them, from family to fellow Howard students. 

“To be honored from Planned Parenthood and to know that our work is being recognized by an organization that has done so much for so many is really unique and special for us,” Blakeney said. 

Following Blakeney’s acceptance speech, Williams took the stage to enlighten the audience about the statistics relating to Black maternal health. He expressed the importance of safe childbirth and how it is a human right that influences human progression. The Bison alum stated, “The health of mothers impacts everyone, not just Black women.” 

“Mothers are the organ that pumps life through all of us. Not just during childbirth, but as we go through this journey of life,” said Jelani Williams, a men’s basketball and class of 2024 Howard alum. 

Honoring the legacy of activism at the university, Blakeney has equipped his athletes with not only skills to help them become the basketball players they hope to be, but also life skills guiding them to be influential young Black men in their communities. 

“You can’t be a Howard basketball player without investing in the community,” Williams said.

Copy edited by Jalyn Lovelady