Andscape profiles Rutgers Coach Umme Salim-Beasley, a collegiate gymnastics pioneer inspired by her family’s legacy of activism
Salim-Beasley, the granddaughter of civil rights activist Reginald Hawkins, makes strides in diversifying gymnastics at every level. ESPN content associate Alyssa Haduck discusses what inspired the storytelling
In many ways, Umme Salim-Beasley embodies the pioneering spirit of her late grandfather, Dr. Reginald Hawkins, who was a noted civil rights advocate, colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King, and a two-time North Carolina gubernatorial candidate.
When she became the leader of Rutgers University’s women’s gymnastics program in 2018, Salim-Beasley was the only Black woman head coach in NCAA Division I at that time. Even with her duties coaching the Scarlet Knights in the six seasons since, Salim-Beasley also has helped the sport grow among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), particularly at Fisk.
It’s her way of giving back to the sport while simultaneously honoring her grandfather, Hawkins, who often traveled hundreds of miles from North Carolina to watch Salim-Beasley star as a prep in Maryland; she would later excel as a collegian at West Virginia University. Hawkins, a dentist, had risen to prominence in the 1950s and ’60s when he fought to desegregate Charlotte, N.C., schools and hospitals; he and his family survived a bombing of their home in 1965.
Hawkins, who died in 2007, also was a colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King; he stands on King’s immediate left in the photo below.
In honor of #MLKDay2024, we explore Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s connection to Charlotte. Read the full story: https://t.co/RyhMMFJPEM
PHOTO: Martin Luther King, Jr. with Reginald Hawkins at @JCSUniversity in 1966. [@CLTSpecColl] #MLKinCLT pic.twitter.com/NRLCKzKwet
— City of Charlotte (@CLTgov) January 15, 2024
King had planned to help support Hawkins’ 1968 run for North Carolina governor, but changed his April itinerary to address protests in Memphis. King was assassinated there two days later.
“I think that [my grandfather] would be extremely proud to see what I’ve been able to achieve,” Salim-Beasley told Andscape recently. “But I also hear his voice in my head saying, ‘You can do more. You can do more. There’s always more to be done.'”
Alyssa Haduck, an ESPN content associate and Andscape contributor who helped produce an ESPN Outside The Lines feature on Fisk University’s pioneering women’s gymnastics program in 2023, tells Front Row about the storytelling in her Salim-Beasley profile.
Why was this an important story to tell?
I first learned of Salim-Beasley’s story last year when reporting on Fisk University’s gymnastics team, the first at an HBCU. Despite all the excitement for the new program, Salim-Beasley’s involvement in getting it off the ground had pretty much gone under the radar — just like her grandfather’s efforts to desegregate Charlotte schools and hospitals during the civil rights movement. When gymnastics season came back around this year, I knew the pair deserved a piece of their own.
Earlier this year, the Fisk University gymnastics program made history by becoming the first HBCU team to compete at the NCAA level — but this was just the beginning for the Bulldogs.
Tune in to @OTLonESPN on tomorrow morning’s @SportsCenter for the story! 🤸🏾♀️ pic.twitter.com/sVAVXsHTZv— Alyssa Haduck (@Alyssa_Haduck) April 9, 2023
What new things did you learn in the storytelling process?
I wasn’t familiar with Dr. Reginald Hawkins before diving into this story, but after speaking with Salim-Beasley and doing some research, I realized just how instrumental he was in advancing equality in Charlotte. I also found it fascinating how polarizing he was among both the white and Black communities. He took a very forceful approach to activism, and it was interesting to hear Salim-Beasley reflect on how she channels his spirit while embracing her methods.
What do you want Andscape readers to learn from the feature?
Living in the [four-time Olympic gold medalist] Simone Biles era, I think it can be easy to forget that there’s still more to be done to diversify gymnastics — its participants, yes, but its coaches and judges, too. After speaking with Salim-Beasley, it was clear that she sees her recent accomplishments as the beginning, not the end. I hope readers feel compelled to support these efforts and get excited about this sport’s future.
Andscape is a Black-led media platform dedicated to creating, highlighting, and uplifting the diverse stories of Black identity. Magnified by the power and reach of The Walt Disney Company, the Andscape umbrella includes an editorial division, book publishing arm, film and television division, and music publishing group, each united by the shared mission of illuminating the culture and experience of Blackness. Founded in 2022, Andscape is a reimagination, expansion and diversification of The Undefeated’s former platform. ESPN commemorates Black History Always.
