On Tuesday, March 30th, the African American Policy Forum will host a timely panel on the history and contemporary significance of the activism of Black women athletes. The convergence of police violence, pandemic and protest in 2020 brought forth a new era of political activism from Black athletes. Those who stepped forward joined a long tradition of Black athletes using their platform—often incurring risk and penalty—to fight for their beliefs and their communities. Black women, in particular, have been at the forefront of Black athletic resistance, modeling courageous collective action and leadership. During Her Dream Deferred, we’ll explore the rich history of Black athletic resistance, celebrate the achievements of Black women athlete-activists in this political moment, and outline the hurdles and possibilities that lie ahead.

Panelists:

Layshia Clarendon (WNBA) is a guard for the New York Liberty, member of the WNBA’s Social Justice Council, and was the first vice president of the WNBA Players Association. They have been a leading advocate for trans, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ athletes, and helped lead the League and Players Association initiatives during the 2020 season to bring awareness to the #SayHerName Campaign and issues of police violence--which included wearing jerseys with the names of women who have been killed via police shootings and racially motivated acts of violence. The Social Justice Council also helped organize a day of absence to spotlight continued racial injustice. Inside the players “bubble,” the Social Justice Council invited conversations with mentors who helped contextualize the importance of women’s political activism.

Sydney Colson (WNBA) was drafted in 2011 after winning an NCAA Championship at Texas A&M, and has played for the WNBA’s Liberty, Stars, Lynx, Aces, and Sky. Sydney was a member and leader of the WNBA’s Social Justice Council which organized in 2020 “to address this country’s long history of inequality, implicit bias and systemic racism that has targeted black and brown communities.” The players advocated for #SayHerName and the #SayHerName Mothers Network and created actions to educate themselves and their fans--wearing jerseys with the names of women who have been killed via racially motivated acts of violence, and holding a day of absence to spotlight continued racial injustice. Inside the “bubble”, the players invited conversations with mentors who helped contextualize the importance of women’s political activism. Colson noted: “It was important for us that a piece of our season be dedicated to social justice -- it has made this season bigger than basketball. Racial injustice is still a huge issue, and this partnership is something we could not have foreseen…”

Demario Davis (NFL), star linebacker for the New Orleans Saints, is a member of the Players Coalition, a group of NFL players working to end social injustices and racial inequality. Since his 2012 rookie year, Demario has made his mark on the field–selected All-Pro in 2019—and off the field: Nominated for the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his community work. In 2020, he partnered with AAPF’s #SayHerName Campaign to raise awareness about the status of Black women and, in 2021, received the Bart Starr Award for outstanding character on the field, at home, and in the community, as voted by his fellow NFL players.

Moderator:

Kimberlé Crenshaw is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the African American Policy Forum, the host of the podcast Intersectionality Matters!, the moderator of the webinar series Under The Blacklight, and a Professor of Law at UCLA and Columbia Law School. She is popularly known for projects that she has named, such as “intersectionality,” “critical race theory,” and the #SayHerName Campaign, and is a leading authority on Civil Rights, Black feminist legal theory, race, racism, and the law. In early 2021, she received the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of American Law Schools.

**** Registration for this conversation is through Eventbrite. All interested attendees will receive a link to the live-stream on the day of the event. This event will also be recorded. ****

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

About Her Dream Deferred

Her Dream Deferred: A Week on the Status of Black Women is a week-long series of conversations and virtual events focused on elevating the crisis facing Black women and girls in our country. Black women, girls, and femmes have continually been on the front lines of progressive social movements, yet the challenges they face at the intersections of race and gender have consistently been relegated to the margins of dominant racial and gender justice discourses. Since its inception, the annual Her Dream Deferred week has countered that marginalization by amplifying the voices and narratives of Black women and girls and providing the tools to dismantle the structural barriers that plague them in their homes, schools, and communities.

To learn more, please visit: www.aapf.org/hdd

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please join AAPF for other events during #HerDreamDeferred 2021:

Monday, March 29th: When Misogynoir is a Pre-existing Condition

Tuesday, March 30th: Engendering the Politics of the Black Athlete

Wednesday, March 31st: Mini Film Festival (Day 1): Coded Bias

Thursday, April 1st: Mini Film Festival (Day 2): A Love Song for Latasha

Friday, April 2nd: Mini Film Festival (Day 3): Still I Rise

Tuesday, April 6th: A Space for Ritual Healing