In partnership with the Bryn Mawr Athletics Department, the Bryn Mawr Athletic Alliance (BMAA), hosted a screening of “Love, 2020” as a part of their DEI film night series. BMAA is a student-led group of scholar-athletes of Color who aim to combat racism within athletics, co-headed by Nethmi Dharmasena and Lourdes Sankar. They were joined by David Karen, a professor of sociology at Bryn Mawr, who contributed to and featured in “Love, 2020,” and Jacqueline Joseph, the director of the film.
“Love, 2020” is a documentary about the 2020 US Open and how various events during the year impacted the athletes involved. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the tournament was not expected to occur, but with a large amount of careful planning, players who opted in were able to travel to New York City to participate. Notably, the film discusses Naomi Osaka’s use of the US Open stage to make her voice heard about the Black Lives Matter Movement throughout the tournament. Her message, conveyed through masks that displayed the names of Black Americans who were killed by police in the United States, was seen and recognized globally.
Those in attendance were able to ask David Karen, who specializes in sports-related sociology, about his role in the film and how collegiate athletes, especially those in women’s sports, can use their voices to make change. Jacqueline Joseph also provided insight on how “Love, 2020” was made and discussed the impacts of the pandemic on tennis players and how they navigated the challenges of the year 2020.
