Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaun Anderson.
Hi Shaun, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m a first-generation college graduate who grew up in a single-parent home in rural Arkansas. I played sports growing up but, I had further interests in understanding why and how sports shaped our society. Beyond this time, I went on to earn my undergraduate and master’s degree. I would then become the first person to earn a doctoral degree in my family. Throughout my education, I have been able to research the impact of sport on larger social issues such as: diversity, equity, and inclusion; community development, and human rights initiatives among others. I am currently a tenured professor of organizational communication at Loyola Marymount University and I believe my work in sports and social responsibility is just beginning!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
During the process of writing my book, The Black Athlete Revolt: The Sports Justice Movement in the Age of #BlackLivesMatter, I did not realize that I was living with a small brain tumor that wreaked havoc on my health. Since the completion of the book, I have been able to get rid of the tumor through medication prescribed by my doctor. So, while going through one of the scariest health crises I’ve ever faced, I was still able to complete my book!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
In addition to being a college professor, I also operate a consulting firm titled, CSR Global Consulting, LLC. With this firm, I aid sports organizations in developing, evaluating, and implementing social responsibility initiatives. I started this firm after years of writing articles on why I thought sports organizations needed guidance when trying to develop their strategic plans. What sets me apart from others is that I have both the research skills of an academic and the ability to translate those skills into practical solutions. I provide need assessments, training and development workshops, speaking services, and evaluation metrics for these organizations for the purposes of developing initiatives that are impactful and measurable over time. What I am most proud of is that I have been able to work with various sports organizations across a spectrum. This includes youth, collegiate, and professional sports. I want people to know that while sports are entertaining, they also provide an avenue of discussion when it comes to race relations, social change, and basic human rights. In 2000, the late South African President, Nelson Mandela, declared that “sports have the power to change the world.” With my work, I plan on continuing that legacy.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I know that we have all heard the cliché, “life is fleeting”, but it truly is and COVID helped me see that. In an instant, the entire world was shut down. People were getting ill, losing jobs, marriages were dissolving, you name it, it happened! So, to me, time Is precious. We have to enjoy the time we have with our loved ones. We cannot spend our entire lives wondering about the what if’s. We can be here today and gone tomorrow. So, it is best that we give ourselves a break, be proud of what we had to endure these past few years, and move forward with the notion that we are more powerful than we think!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shaunmarqanderson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaunmarqspeaks/?hl=en
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-marq-anderson-ph-d-28515414
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShaunMarqSpeaks
Image Credits
Randy Tindage
