Aspirations for Ujima: Fortifying the Kinesiology Profession through a Social-Ecological Paradigm

ABSTRACT In my address as the 41st Dudley A. Sargent lecturer, I urged my colleagues to prioritize recruiting, educating, retaining, and training the next generation of kinesiology faculty. With a keen interest in supporting the educational pursuits of Black students, I challenged current scholars to nurture future kinesiology professionals across the social-ecological model. I further highlighted the work of successful bridge programs aimed at honing the talent of undergraduate students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to assist in their entry and matriculation through the doctorate. Lastly, I presented the Connections of Success Tree to illustrate pairs of intrapersonal and interpersonal characteristics and relationships that can lead to responsible strengthening and diversification of the field through collective work.