YWCA St. Paul is honored to present its annual Change Maker award to Rebekkah Lamar Brunson in recognition of her exceptional leadership and commitment to racial justice and women’s empowerment and her work to promote positive change in our society.
Rebekkah Brunson is Assistant Coach of the Minnesota Lynx, former WNBA star and co-founder of Sweet Troo•vi Waffle. In her many roles, Rebekkah uses her platform to advocate for racial justice and gender equity.
She, along with her former Lynx teammates, were among the first professional athletes to draw attention to the need for change after the shooting deaths of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and five Dallas police officers. Five years ago, before athletes in the NBA and NFL took more widely publicized stands, Brunson and her teammates appeared at Target Center wearing black warmup shirts that read “Change Starts With Us – Justice and Accountability.” This was the beginning of the team’s activism, bringing public attention to important issues of social justice.
“Rebekkah is truly a Change Maker. It took courage, commitment and leadership for her to take such a public stand on really important issues of racial and social justice, and to encourage others to give voice to their beliefs,” said Gaye Adams Massey, CEO of YWCA St. Paul. “As a leader in the Lynx organization, Rebekkah continues to use her voice to help champion social justice – work that closely aligns with the mission of YWCA St. Paul. Thank you Rebekkah, for all that you have done – and will continue to do.”
YWCA St. Paul’s Change Maker is awarded annually at its Sweet Success celebration to an individual whose work actively advances YWCA St. Paul’s mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. The recipient exhibits leadership, perseverance and dedication to making our community a better place.
Congratulations Rebekkah!