LeagueSide stands in solidarity with the Black members in our community — our partners, youth sports organizers, coaches, players, parents, and everyone else affected deeply by the tragic and senseless death of George Floyd and far too many others.
We have always believed that youth sports is a vehicle that bridges communities together and teaches kids valuable life lessons. We will continue to fight towards fulfilling our mission of making youth sports accessible to all.
As a community-driven organization, we will invest both time and resources towards combating racism and advancing equity in the communities that we serve. Our first step has been educating ourselves through research and conversations. Below are a list of resources to both learn about what is happening and to take action.
We are with you. We can and we will do more to make society better.
Charities/ Foundations (sports centric, educational, or community focused):
Boys and Girls Club of America
Books:
White Fragility – Robin DiAngelo
How To Be An Antiracist – Ibram X. Kendi
How We Fight White Supremacy – Akiba Solomon and Kenrya Rankin
The Broken Heart of America – Walter Johnson
The Education of Black People: Ten Critiques, 1906 – 1960 – W.E.B. DuBois
For additional book recommendations, please see a suggested list by Ibram X. Kendi here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/books/review/antiracist-reading-list-ibram-x-kendi.html
Podcasts:
Seeing White Series a 14-part documentary series exploring whiteness in America
Code Switch news viewed through the lens of race and identity
The 1619 Project, an unprecedented attempt to understand the legacy of enslavement on society
Articles:
NYTimes: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant by Jose Antonio Vargas
VOX: The Intersectionality Wars by Jane Coaston
The Atlantic: Who Gets to Be Afraid in America by Ibram X. Kendi
Washington Post: We must confront the inconsistent laws by Sherrilyn Ifill
Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh
The Atlantic: The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates