Eboni Preston Laurent is the senior manager of diversity and inclusion for US Lacrosse. She was a goalkeeper for the St. Bonaventure women’s lacrosse team from 2004-08 — earning the Atlantic-10 Defensive Player of the Year honor as a senior — and was enshrined in the university’s athletics hall of fame in February.

Preston Laurent has felt a wide range of emotions since the death of George Floyd, and she shared those thoughts here with US Lacrosse Magazine editor in chief Matt DaSilva. In this Q&A, learn how the Black Lives Matter movement relates to lacrosse and what allies can do to support racial equality.

How are you, really?

I have had so many different emotions that I work through daily, but I’m hopeful for the future and the unity I’ve seen in our country working toward positive change.

What did you feel when you saw the George Floyd video?

Numbness. This isn’t the first video. It’s one of many. We’ve watched this play out before, unfortunately. While I’ve been glad that so many allies from diverse communities have stepped up and voiced support, I also have found myself at times thinking, “Where have you been? Why did we have to lose so many lives before we all collectively took a stand on behalf of black lives?”

I believe we are at an inflection point stemming from frustration associated with COVID-19 and national isolation, high unemployment rates, political unrest and other caveats that have almost created the perfect storm. While George Floyd’s murder was a catalyst, we are dealing with a culmination of events and disparities that all demand action.

How does the Black Lives Matter movement relate to us in the lacrosse community?

It’s always been said that sport is a microcosm of society. Lacrosse mirrors America. Just as black people have spent decades fighting for equality in our country, the lacrosse experience for many, is certainly no different. The ways in which capitalism and corporate power are designed to protect original processes or systems in America are often eerily similar in sport.  

Take a look at the elite lacrosse experience from top to bottom — the tryout model, the coaching staff, the pay-to-play format or the player invitations. When someone tries to change the system, the feedback is, “We’ve always done it this way,” or a million other excuses that are designed to ensure the status quo and ultimately stymie equal opportunities for black people in our sport.

I also believe in both scenarios, the systems aren’t equally as simple. They are so much more layered and complicated. For instance, my personal pet peeve is when people say, “Black people don’t play lacrosse because it cost too much.” First off, that implication is rooted in a stereotype that all black people are poor. Even if you exclude the impoverished black population, what’s your excuse for why middle- and upper-class black people do not play lacrosse? That’s a flawed and prejudice argument. Secondly, when I’ve surveyed many of our Urban Lacrosse Alliance affiliate groups to get feedback on why they feel students of color are not playing lacrosse, often times they list other forces or reasons that are more challenging to address like experiences with racism, underlying social stigmas, lack of national visibility and superstardom, limited professional play aspirations, competition with football, soccer and basketball seasons and lack of buy-in from the school administration.

The list goes on, but the solutions are not as simple as we’d like to think. It’s incumbent on us as leaders to listen first and give quick deliverables in our communities, but also address the longer-term question of how we undo years of systemic racism in our country at all levels. That’s something that takes time, support and continued conversation.

How have you experienced racism in your life?

I have certainly learned over time that racism comes in different packages. There of course is overt, extreme racism, which our country is being exposed to now thanks to social media and phone videos. But there is indirect racism that can be less noticeable but often times just as distressing. Examples of those would be terms like “whitesplaining,” “whitewashing” or “code switching.”

I have also been marginalized, passed over, ignored and disregarded too many times to count. Those are things that won’t necessarily go viral, but they certainly negate the black experience and people need to be just as aware of the damage that causes. I deal with the scars from these encounters all the time, which makes me hyperaware of how I present myself, who I surround myself with and how I make decisions.

How have you experienced racism in lacrosse?

I have dealt with an ongoing thread of microaggressions throughout my lacrosse experience. I experienced the regular nuances like teammates assuming I can dance or listen to all the latest hip hop, (I’d take Stevie Wonder over Migos any day), classmates dressing in blackface for Halloween or trying to hook me up with the nearest black guy just because.

I didn’t realize it until years later, but by senior year I was dealing with a disconnect from many of my teammates because I didn’t identify with them and I wanted a more diverse experience.  I would come home for the summer and I was always in Baltimore and exposed to different people, then I’d go back to school and it just felt isolating at times. Even after I graduated college, I had my challenges in lacrosse, but I loved the game and wanted to continue to make an impact.

I coached for five years collegiately at three different colleges. I ran so many camps and clinics across the country in an effort to network and make money in the summer. It wasn’t until 2015 when I started the US Lacrosse Sankofa Clinic Series in partnership with Chazz Woodson that I coached alongside another person of color.  I remember the moment because it was such an empowering feeling, but uncomfortable to think that it had taken that long. Prior to that experience, I was always “the only” and I dealt with the assumptions and stereotypes that came with that for a long time.

Although navigating this sport as a person of color can have its challenges, I will say that lacrosse has brought me a lifetime of friendships and fond memories. I don’t ever want to diminish my positive experiences, which is why I’m still invested in trying to impact the game.

What’s it like being immersed in these conversations every day at US Lacrosse?

Honestly, it’s frustrating and equally as challenging. It’s a unique experience because there are plenty of women of color in predominately white industries, and that alone can be taxing. There is an added burden to come to work each day and serve as the voice for all marginalized communities in our game. I can speak my truth, but there’s no particular group that’s monolithic, so I don’t necessarily have all the answers.

I certainly believe in the work we are doing at US Lacrosse. But as a black woman in this country — and more specifically in the lacrosse community — I am struggling to find all the solutions as well. I’m feeling a whole range of emotions just like the rest of America. Just know I’m always working on your behalf behind the scenes, and my passion for that is unwavering. 

How has US Lacrosse lived up to its commitment to diversity and inclusion — and how can we do better?

We’ve certainly done a lot of good work in this space over the years, whether through financial investment, education or resources. It takes years to undo the product of systemic racism and privilege, so the needle moves slower than people would probably like, myself included.

Although I’m not ignorant to the work that still needs to be done, I know that our national governing body has become a leader in diversity and inclusion. When I sit down with other sports organizations, they are always asking for our perspective and guidance because many of them are just starting to tackle these issues in their own respective sports. That is always a source of pride for me personally, especially when I consider what still needs to be done.

The good news is I don’t think US Lacrosse is in the place where we must entirely reinvent the wheel. We do, however, need to recreate some of our systems and policies and that is evident in several areas of our organization. We must hire more staff of color. Our board and national teams also need to reflect greater racial diversity. Our hiring policies must also reflect the need for those changes.

We also must examine all areas of our organizational functions — from our grant programs and partnerships to our coaches and officials education — to determine where we can improve our internal processes and practices. I’m in the process of looking at all those areas right now and making recommendations for change, and I’m optimistic that we will make progress.

The true turning point for our organization, however, will not come in times of crisis. We need to abide by these same priorities when Rome is no longer burning. That will be our true test of merit.

What can white people do to become allies in the movement?

Advocate for us and then make room for black voices.

It’s interesting because I just had this discussion with several of my friends. While we are ecstatic for the moment, we specifically spoke about how we’ve seen many non-people of color say, “We need to speak up for black people and use our voices to cultivate change.” I agree to an extent. Your voices are certainly appreciated and necessary. But we must make sure it’s not at the expense of drowning out the black narrative.

I look at what Alexis Ohanian did. He’s Serena Williams’ husband and also co-founder of Reddit. He stepped down from his board position and requested his vacancy be filled by a person of color. I respected his decision because he could have simply stayed in his role and just embraced speaking more on issues that impact people of color, but he understood the magnitude of representation and the importance of having people of color at the table. Please continue to share our voices and our stories, but make sure you advocate for us to be in every room and a part of every decision. 

I also suggest that you learn how to act within your own community. Get involved. Volunteer. Make a donation. Support a charity. We can’t mistake social visibility for activism and change. We must move the ball in terms of what is acceptable and what is possible to make good on the moment we are in.

Why haven’t we figured out how to eradicate systemic racism in America?

Because honestly, we haven’t really tried. Our leaders in government are mostly white. Why would you actively work to change something that doesn’t negatively affect you? Privilege is not a problem if it’s not a problem for you personally.

This takes a lot of time, dedication and intentionality, and I don’t think America has genuinely attempted to take a real deep dive into addressing this issue from the top down. We need the next generation to run for public office and other positions of power, and then we as a community need to get out and vote these leaders into office so they can continue this movement.