Devon Ford - Creating Positive Change

STUDENT STORIES

DEVON FORD

CREATING POSITIVE CHANGE ON AND OFF THE COURT

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Devon and other team members wearing their “Can You See Me?” shirts

At 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, DEVON FORD ’20 has always stood out on the Southeastern campus. But during the summer of 2020, Devon decided he needed to stand out in a different way and make a lasting impact on Lakeland before graduating with his Master of Business Administration and moving on to law school.

Following the murder of George Floyd, the Fire men’s basketball center decided this was his opportunity to contribute to the campus.

“I kind of kept my opinions to myself and how I felt about certain things the first four years I was here,” said Devon. “I thought, ‘This is my chance — here’s my opportunity to make an impact and create change.’”

In conversations with men’s basketball coach Kevin Lubbers, Devon decided it

was time for him to step up and take a leadership role not just within the team but the campus as well.

“Devon has a natural humility, a genuine care for others, and a loyalty to our program and all those in his life. He is a blessing to be around,” said Lubbers. “His personality is infectious and he draws people to him naturally. His willingness to stand for what he believes while always remaining open minded and his ability to provide and receive feedback in a mature way are things that I appreciate about Devon as well. It is a privilege to coach him.”

Devon’s impact started within his team after realizing that the majority of his teammates were not registered to vote. Before the election, all 16 members of the team were not only registered, but Lubbers gave the team the day off to vote.

“Having everyone have their voice heard whether they voted Republican, Democrat or Independent, and having everyone educated was important,” said Devon. “We are at the point where it is in our hands now; it’s our future. We realized if you want change, there is stuff you have to do other than tweeting about it.”

The relationships Devon helped foster within the roster helped lead to openness in discussing issues in society and those relating to the election.

“The team group chat stopped talking about basketball and started talking about the Presidential Debates,” said Devon. “We understood the magnitude of what unfolded during the summer.”

In addition to getting the entire team registered and engaged in the election, Devon made it a point to try to get those

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Coach Kevin Lubbers with Devon Ford

outside of the team to do the same. They had a QR code on hand to assist others they interacted with on campus with the registration process.

That wasn’t the end.

Devon was also part of an outreach at Crystal Lake Middle School feeding the community and interacting with children. As part of the racial inequality committee in the athletic department, Devon also was a part of conversations with key people on campus and in the community, including law enforcement.

“We asked them questions and they also asked us a lot of questions,” said Devon. “They want to have a relationship with the community, and they are people too. You can get nervous when the lights come on behind you. When they get out of the car and you know the person, it’s a little less anxious.”

One of the more impactful meetings came with Dr. Kenneth Stephens, an associate professor on campus. Stephens

recited his piece “Can You See Me?” and Devon knew immediately the team needed to incorporate Stephens’ work into the team’s pregame warm-up.

The basis of Stephens’ work asks people to see him for what he is and not what they think they know about him. Stephens explains he is a son, brother, husband, father, professor, pastor, veteran, Christian and a man who happens to be African-American. “Until you can see past this, you’ll never be able to see any of that.”

Devon used that concept to get the team together to record who they are beyond basketball players.

“If you only see us as athletes, then you’re missing out on everything we have to offer,” said Devon.

The result was a moment in the middle of pregame warm-ups when the team lined up in shirts that read “Can You See Me?” on the front and had interlocking arms on the back. Each player stepped forward

when the statement they recorded about who they are was played.

“It’s not offensive, it’s powerful, it gets everyone’s attention,” said Devon. “To see a team line up and take ownership of who they are, their team and their university, that’s special. After the game, people would ask questions, and people told me they had tears in their eyes.”

Through the year, Devon enjoyed building the relationships necessary to help foster change and learned the importance of having those relationships.

“It gives you the green light to do things that if you didn’t have a relationship or trust with, they would be hesitant,” said Devon.

Those relationships include members of the SEU faculty, Director of Athletics DREW WATSON ’18 (MBA) and Lubbers, who initially helped Devon realize his potential.

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“He’s probably the person I look up to the most,” said Devon of Lubbers. “He’s taught me so many things and life lessons, and how to be a leader.”

“Devon is willing to put his passion for people in motion,” said Watson. “He doesn’t just sit around and complain about things, he comes up with creative ways to make a difference. More importantly, I watched last year as he grew into a collaborator who is just as willing to listen to the opinions of others as he is to express his own. He is truly an example to all of us that people who may disagree on an issue or two can still work together to affect change.”

Additionally, Devon and his teammates have built relationships with students outside of athletics. When not in class or in The Furnace, you can usually find members of the team on El Prado spending time with those passing by.

“We try to interact on campus as much as we can and be out there and not stick to ourselves,” said Devon. “We get to know a lot of different groups of people, athletes and non-athletes, and get to know them because everyone has a story.”

Outside of the relationships, Devon has learned to be himself and unapologetically so. “Lead with who you are and don’t put on a show for someone else,” said Devon.

The Loganville, Ga., native is currently in his final season of eligibility. He will graduate with his Master of Business Administration in the spring and intends to go to law school afterwards with plans to be a corporate attorney.

“Going to law school is something I have wanted to do since high school,” said Devon. “It’s important to have people of color as attorneys, doctors, politicians and in law enforcement; if you want change, you have to step into the roles that can make change.”

Can You See Me?By Dr. Kenneth Stephens

Can you see me? I’m standing right here. Can you see me, not as the world sees me, dark and full of fear? Can you see me? I only ask because I really need to know: where do I need to stand, where is it that I need to go? Before you see me, for who I am and not for what you think you know. Can you see me? I’m standing right here.

My life is an open book filled with pages of invisible words that seem to appear and disappear. Each new chapter ends as it begins, with one question that has yet to be answered still today. Can you see me? I’m standing right here. Am I a person? Am I a place? Am I a thing?

Am I in the United States of America, where everyone comes in search of the American dream? Dream, a dream of “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Can you see me America? I ask, “Am I living the American dream?” Can you see me? My Life, my Liberty, my Pursuit of Happiness — what does all that mean? If you can’t see me, it doesn’t mean a thing! Can you see me? I’m standing right here. I only ask because I need to know. Is there somewhere else I need to stand — is there somewhere else I need to go? Can you see me?

“Can You See Me?” was written by Dr. Stephens in 2016 in response to the question, “How can we hate what we don’t know?”

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