Interview with Semeka Randall Lay - OH 758

Interviewer

Olivia Paxton

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Abstract

This interview was conducted by Olivia “Liv” Paxon with Semeka Randall Lay as part of Project 2020: A Collaborative Oral History. Coach Randall Lay discusses her upbringing, collegiate years, and later professional career as a WNBA basketball player and NCAA Division I women’s basketball coach. She details her journey as part of Winthrop University’s women’s basketball coaching team (2019-present), notably during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also shares her experiences as a Black athlete, coach, and woman. Notable topics of conversation include women’s basketball, Winthrop athletics, racial and gender disparities, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Semeka Chantay Randall-Lay (b. 1979), a native of Cleveland, Ohio, is the head coach of Winthrop University’s women’s basketball team, a position she took on in 2021. She is also a former collegiate and professional basketball player. Coach Randall Lay previously served as associate (2019-2020) and interim head coach (2020-2021) for the women’s basketball team at Winthrop.

Spearheaded by Dr. O. Jennifer Dixon-McKnight, an Assistant Professor of History and African American studies at Winthrop University, Project 2020 is best summarized in her words: “The goal was to conduct interviews that explored the various ways in which Americans were experiencing and being impacted by the various watershed moments that emerged during 2020 (the global pandemic, social unrest, financial challenges, issues with healthcare, etc.)."

Publication Date

12-2-2021

Unique Identifier

OH 758

Format

MP3; M4A; WAV

Length

00:29:09

Restrictions

This interview is open for use.

Disciplines

Law

Keywords

COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020, Black Women, Race, Women's Basketbell, Winthrop University

Interview with Semeka Randall Lay - OH 758

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