Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard To Move All Athletics Off Election Day

PROVIDENCE, RI — Brown University, Dartmouth College and Harvard University are among the Ivy League Schools that will cancel all athletic contests and required practices on Nov. 3 to help promote student participation on Election Day.

The Ivy League also announced on Thursday that it will develop several programs designed to advance racial justice and spur civic participation.

"It is long overdue to speak up in support of the Black community, accept responsibility and take deliberate action to condemn all forms of systemic racism and social inequality," Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris said. "While the Ivy League stands on a storied history, we acknowledge there were unfortunate chapters that did not advance society towards racial equality. Moving forward, it is our pledge to examine and identify structural changes needed to promote a diverse and inclusive culture in all aspects of our operations.

"Simultaneously, we are committed to being a visible, vocal and meaningful voice throughout college athletics."

LISTEN. LEARN. ACT. Ivy League & member schools designate Election Day as a day off from any required athletics activity Ivy League office will be closed tomorrow in recognition of #Juneteenth2020 #BlackLivesMatter » https://t.co/7M8Eju9tUh pic.twitter.com/jy8qYWakG4
— The Ivy League (@IvyLeague) June 18, 2020

The Brown University athletic department said in a statement that it supports the Ivy League's decision "giving our student-athletes the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to vote in the national election. As a department, we are committed to the actions and steps the university will pursue to more effectively drive necessary change on and beyond our campus to address anti-Black racism."

The Ivy League was the first major conference in the country to shut down all athletics on May 11 at the start of the coronavirus outbreak, but Harvard is among the schools that has stated its plans to have students back on campus full-time for the fall semester.

Along with taking Election Day off from athletics, the Ivy League said it will close all league offices on Friday in honor of as Juneteenth to encourage support of the movement to make the day a national day of reflection.

"Brown University, with its own well-documented direct ties to the trans-Atlantic slave trade, has sought to address the enduring presence and impact of racism and bias on campus, and to contribute to discourse, policy and outcomes through education, research and service," Brown President Christina H. Paxson, Provost Richard M. Locke and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Barbara Chernow said in a joint statement. "Through the extensive and deliberate work of so many students, staff, faculty and alumni, Brown remains deeply committed to this work, and to cultivating an environment in which every person is treated with dignity and respect."

Harris said she will initiate opportunities to listen to student-athletes at each institution in the league to learn about their experiences, allow them to voice concerns and communicate recommendations through a series of discussions. These conversations will begin in July.