Women's Basketball Player Imani Dottin Receives 2020 Salem State MLK Leadership Award

SALEM, Mass. -- Salem State student-athlete Imani Dottin was named one of four recipient's of this year's Salem State MLK Leadership Award. The Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award is given annually to a Salem State student, faculty member, staff or administrator, or alumnus and recognizes individuals for their outstanding and significant contributions to the cause of freedom, justice, peace, and equality. 

The sophomore is a second-year member of the Salem State women's basketball team and was nominated by her head coach Bobby Verdun. "Imani came to our program a year ago midway thru her freshman year after recovering from a major knee injury in High School. Integrating into a group of 12 young women who had been together for nearly three months is not an easy venture for anyone yet Imani found her comfort zone almost immediately.  On the court her work ethic, intelligence, and physicality all came forward as she began to find confidence in her repaired knee and build back her skill sets.  But it was off the court where I found her presence, confidence, ability to earn trust at hello, and insight that quickly showed us all the potential she would have as a leader. "

"Upon returning this year, the strength and confidence she exuded the year before continued to grow.  She embraced her role as an RA, became a leader with her peers with regards to dance and music, and took initiative with our young freshmen recruits and mentored them thru their very challenging first quarter. Additionally, Imani has begun to flourish on the court earning a starting role and has become one of our key defensive contributors." 

"Above anything else, Imani is an exceptionally proud and determined young woman who has shown the rare ability to balance a number of roles at the University and thrive in all of them." Dr. King once stated "a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus." " I have no doubt he would see this leader in Imani Dottin."