{"id":276,"date":"2026-05-16T22:34:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T22:34:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=276"},"modified":"2026-05-16T22:34:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T22:34:14","slug":"uscs-dawn-staley-talks-life-philosophy-equal-pay-at-columbia-black-expo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=276","title":{"rendered":"USC\u2019s Dawn Staley talks life philosophy, equal pay at Columbia Black Expo"},"content":{"rendered":"

University of South Carolina women\u2019s head basketball coach Dawn Staley used a conversation at Columbia\u2019s Black Expo to reflect on faith, the program\u2019s championship run and the work she says it takes to advocate for women \u2014 on and off the court.<\/p>\n

Read more NC State football announces three ACC dates, home opener change<\/a><\/p>\n

Staley, introduced at the event as a \u201cthree-time champion coach,\u201d discussed the phrase \u201cuncommon favor,\u201d which she has used publicly since her 2024 national championship title. She described it as blessings that are difficult to explain \u2014 \u201csomehow bestowed on you\u201d \u2014 and linked it to lessons she said she learned after South Carolina\u2019s 2023 team fell short despite going into the Final Four undefeated.<\/p>\n

But in 2024, Staley said the Gamecocks did something that had never happened in her career: the team completed an entire season undefeated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do think that was the Lord just saying, \u2018I can show you better than I can tell you,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

During the onstage interview, Staley also talked about the themes in her book, also titled \u201cUncommon Favor,\u201d which she said centers on \u201c13 life lessons\u201d taught by what she called three pillars: basketball, her upbringing in North Philadelphia and her mother.<\/p>\n

Staley said her mother\u2019s work ethic shaped how she approaches her own profession.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe sacrificed her needs to give her kids their wants \u2014 not just their needs,\u201d Staley said, describing her mother cleaning houses when Staley was young.<\/p>\n

Staley said she would not change growing up in \u201cthe projects\u201d in North Philly, describing it as a foundation for who she is now. Basketball, she added, helped guide her decisions and provided protection.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy neighborhood guys made sure they protected me from any negative things,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Asked about advocacy and self-worth, Staley recounted the process she followed as she sought equal pay.<\/p>\n

She described comparing the women\u2019s program\u2019s sustained success with pay growth on the men\u2019s side and said the pay disparity \u201cdidn\u2019t quite sit well.\u201d Staley said she viewed the matter as a question of principle.<\/p>\n

Staley said she ultimately asked her agent to \u201cstand down\u201d and hired a local lawyer who understood the university\u2019s decision-makers and community dynamics.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took about six months to get it done,\u201d Staley said.<\/p>\n

Now earning $4 million a year, Staley is the highest paid<\/a> college women\u2019s basketball coach in the country.<\/p>\n

She emphasized patience and the value of having both \u201cmentors\u201d and \u201csponsors\u201d \u2014 people who support you day-to-day and people \u201cin the room where the decisions are being made.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe facts will speak for themselves,\u201d Staley said, adding that she tries to let emotions subside before returning to the facts.<\/p>\n

Near the close of the conversation, Staley credited Columbia\u2019s support for helping sustain her tenure \u2014 now 18 years \u2014 and said the community\u2019s relationship with the women\u2019s basketball program is something she feels she cannot repay.<\/p>\n

She also thanked Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann for his visibility in the community and discussed the perspective she said persuaded her to accept a statue honoring her<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Staley said the mayor told her that women account for about \u201c4% of all statues\u201d worldwide, and that for Black women, the share is even smaller.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really can\u2019t believe it,\u201d she said of the statue.<\/p>\n

Staley ended with advice she attributed to one of the program\u2019s fans, who said the quote came from his grandmother: \u201cWhen you treat people good, they treat you better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sums up my entire career,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The Columbia Black expo is an annual gathering at the S.C. State Fair Grounds, featuring community leaders, celebrities, food, education, inspiration and countless vendors \u2014 all aimed at empowering the capitol city\u2019s Black community.<\/p>\n

This year marked the event\u2019s 29th anniversary and, besides Staley, included a \u201cfireside chat\u201d with actor Jonathan Majors from MGM\u2019s \u201cCreed III,\u201d HBO\u2019s \u201cLovecraft County\u201d and Netflix\u2019s \u201cThe Harder They Fall,\u201d among many others.<\/p>\n

The expo also included live music performances by Dee-1, Steve Ray Ladson and Lisa Knowles Smith and the Brown Singers.<\/p>\n

The event was sponsored by a plethora of big-name entities, including Dominion Energy, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of S.C., the University of South Carolina, Food Lion, Truist Bank and several others.<\/p>\n

Rickenmann described the expo as \u201csuch a great event\u201d that highlights \u201cdiversity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBlack Expo brings a lot of opportunity for us to be exposed to a lot of businesses, tying us in the community to small businesses here, making sure that diversity is seen and that everybody has an opportunity,\u201d Rickenmann said.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 3:10 PM<\/span> with the headline “USC\u2019s Dawn Staley talks life philosophy, equal pay at Columbia Black Expo.” <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Teenager arrested in fatal Charlotte pool party shooting, police say<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

University of South Carolina women\u2019s basketball coach Dawn Staley shared insights into her journey to success during the 29th annual Black Expo in Columbia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nUSC\u2019s Dawn Staley talks life philosophy, equal pay at Columbia Black Expo - \u0421harlotte Relocation Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=276\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"USC\u2019s Dawn Staley talks life philosophy, equal pay at Columbia Black Expo - 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