As Black History Month draws to a close, Oakland Roots Sports Club is deepening our commitment to anti-racism by joining the Anti-Racist Soccer Club – a coalition to create action and accountability – and inviting our soccer community to join us in the fight.
Systemic racism in sport is in the headlines as much as ever, whether it’s the latest example of Black players abused without consequence on social media in the English Premier League, or the case by coach Brian Flores alleging systemic racial discriminaton in the NFL. At the same time there are efforts underway to deny the problem exists and rob us of the chance to work together for change.
Anti-racist statements are easy to make, but without real investment in changing the systems of power and oppression, the problems of racism in sport will persist. Roots’ partnership with Anti Racist Soccer Club – a coalition of current and former players, activists and academics – is part of our ongoing commitment to hold ourselves accountable to meaningful action.
“Oakland Roots is a leader in the social justice space and their addition to the Anti-Racist Soccer Club is monumental in continuing anti-racist work for the sport” said Kaiya McCullough, former NWSL player who is co-founder and Chair of the coalition. “We’re honored to collaborate with Oakland Roots on ways we can foster a truly inclusive, diverse, and equitable space for Black and Brown individuals. The Roots’ longstanding commitment to tackling racism is a testament to their dedication to that sentiment, and we look forward to helping them develop a Ten Point Plan that furthers their mission towards justice”.
“Joining the Anti-Racist Soccer Club coalition is an important step to hold ourselves accountable to our promises and we’re grateful for the leadership of people like Kaiya, Hugh Roberts and Brandon Miller of the USL Black Players Alliance and clubs like AFC Ann Arbor for setting standards for us to follow” said Roots’ President Lindsay Barenz. “We’re also going to be asking our community to join the fight with a new program focusing on education in youth soccer through our work with Common Goal”.
Oakland Roots is the only team in the United States to be a member of Common Goal, the global movement led by some of the world’s top players and teams to give 1% of their salary to social justice causes, and in 2021 we used that role to help catalyze the creation of The Anti-Racist Project (ARP), an action-based approach to tackling systemic racism in soccer and society which included a unique collaboration with Chicago Fire of MLS and Angel City FC of NWSL.
“In the last two or three years alone, I have lost count of how many times my fellow professionals have been subjected to racist abuse” he said during the announcement. “Despite the headlines, despite the punishments, despite the outcry, nothing changes and we end up waiting for the next headline to come around. The Anti-Racist Project is a way to use training to tackle systemic racism across all levels of professional and grassroots soccer with the goal of creating a more inclusive and diverse environment that celebrates our differences”.
In 2022 Oakland Roots will be part of the launch of Common Goal’s groundbreaking new curriculum of anti-racist education geared towards youth players and coaches in a virtual, interactive, and gamified format. This educational league will feature a coach’s training and facilitation guide, challenges for players to complete and compete in, and a designated online platform to deliver curated content for participating teams.
We’re looking forward to sharing more information about this new initiative with our community as the 2022 season progresses.
About Anti-Racist Soccer Club:
This coalition was created to fight racism in American soccer. Clubs, leagues and supporter groups can apply to join the Anti Racist Soccer Club coalition by submitting their version of the Ten Point Plan that fits their community, based on our guidelines. The plan will be reviewed by our leadership team. All groups accepted into the coalition will be required to participate in a quarterly review of their progress and commitment to fighting racism. Accountability must become a part of the process in fighting racism.
About Common Goal Anti-Racism Project:
The Common Goal Anti Racist Project (ARP) is a comprehensive, needs-based training curriculum that tackles systemic racism across all levels of professional and grassroots soccer. It was created by a coalition of clubs from USL, MLS and NWSL and fan groups.
About Oakland Roots:
Oakland Roots Sports Club seeks to harness the magic of Oakland and the power of sport as a force for social good. Whether on the pitch, in the stands, or within the community, Oakland Roots will represent our one-of-a-kind city with passion, pride, and commitment to all things Oakland. Player by player. Supporter by supporter. Resident by resident. One day at a time. One game at a time. This is about Oakland first, always.
