Learn More About Lute Leaders

TACOMA, Wash. - This is the first part of a series highlighting Lute student-athletes who are advocates and leaders in the community. Our first installment features Pacific Lutheran University cross country and track & field student-athlete Hezekiah Goodwin. Beyond his involvement in athletics, Goodwin is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Black Student Union (BSU), is a residence hall advisor, and a kinesiology major.

Already a leader on campus, Goodwin is advocating for education and change in light of the senseless murders of African-Americans across the United States, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Ahmaud Arbery.
 
The murders and the injustice they've exposed, have really hit home for the senior to be from Kent, Washington.

"The last couple of weeks have been really rough for me just in the sense that I felt like I was naive to a lot of situations that are going on. I was talking to some teammates about this. PLU does a good job of accepting everyone and stopping racial discrimination for the most part, so I felt like I was in a bubble. Then having the realization of everything that's been going on around the country and there's still a lot of people being treated unfairly, it hurt. It hurt me. It took me a couple weeks to process what's been going on and take it from there."

As a runner, the death of Ahmaud Arbery particularly hit home for Goodwin as Arbery was murdered while out jogging in Brunswick, Georgia on Feb. 23.

"I'm still not running outside as much as I would in the past. A situation like that terrifies me. Just because he was a black male he was targeted. What's the difference between him and myself? I don't want to go out there and be naive to situations that are happening when they could affect me."

Despite the injustice, Goodwin is doing his part to educate those in his community and fight for change. Goodwin's been active on social media, has attended Black Lives Matter protests in the Covington area, and has led discussions with members of the cross country team.

"I've been active on social media trying to educate and share resources online that are short and to the point, finding something that's effective for an audience that may not want to go and seek education themselves."

"I've also led discussions with the cross country team about what's going on, especially as the only black man on the team. It's important that we have an open discussion about what's going on and create an open atmosphere to discuss things. The cross country team has meetings every so often and so I knew our meeting was coming up and said 'hey guys I think it would be really important if we talked about this.' They were really receptive to it. We discussed talking points about what the movement is about. What we're striving for. Some common misconceptions and some things they can do personally to combat racism and support marginalized people."

Goodwin's conversations extend beyond the cross country squad, also meeting with fellow track & field captains and having ongoing discussions with members of Black Student Union, which has been an invaluable support system on campus.

"It's so important (having BSU). At the end of the day it goes to a sense of understanding. While people can try and understand what it feels like to be marginalized in situations, you won't truly understand it unless you're a person of color. By having those spaces and people to reach out to and truly connect with each other, it's super important for mental health and overall well-being."

Goodwin hopes his message is the need for more empathy and the first step is acknowledging that there are structural inequities in our society.

"With this movement we need more understanding and more empathy. I'm starting to realize a lot of people don't see the inequalities in America right now which is kind of shocking especially given everything that has gone on. That's the first step: acknowledgement. That some people are just less privileged than others and how do you provide a space for others to have equality and equity in opportunities. That's the start of it as there's a lot more that needs to be done."

Goodwin additionally sees the Black Lives Matter movement as a way to increase diversity on campus and highlight the support systems on campus for minorities.

"Advocating for diversity and reaching out to more students of color. Reaching out and advocating that we have spaces for people of color to come here and feel comfortable."

Ultimately, Goodwin's message is advocating for community members to continue to educate themselves and engage in thoughtful discussion while uniting to make a stronger community.

"I'm a huge proponent of education. I would encourage everyone to educate themselves. This is also a huge time for people to start discussing things. There is privilege and inequality but at the end of the day we can still unite. It's a collective effort, it's not just a black or white effort."