Super Bowl LI is on Sunday (February 5), but in perhaps the most socially-conscious programming of the weekend, the Ross Initiative in Sports for Racial Equality (RISE) will host a town hall today from 4 to 6 p.m. CST that aims to harness athletes’ star power to advance the cause of racial justice.
“From Protest to Progress: The Power of Sports to Improve Race Relations” will gather players from 9 of the 32 NFL teams to discuss their current advocacy and what comes next. RISE will also present the results of a new report that details the activism of players in 2016, and provides recommendations on how the industry at large can use its far-reaching impact to push for racial equity.
“The ‘what comes next’ part is the most significant as athletes and sports fans seek to move from words to action to engage in meaningful social change,” Jocelyn Benson of RISE told The Undefeated.
Per that site, the following players will join the discussion at Texas Southern University, an historically Black institution:
- Johnson Bademosi, Glover Quin and Anquan Boldin of the Detroit Lions
- Michael Bennett of the Seattle Seahawks
- Andrew Hawkins and Josh McCown of the Cleveland Browns
- James Ihedigbo of the Buffalo Bills
- Malcolm Jenkins of the Philadelphia Eagles
- Rashad Jennings of the New York Giants
- Brandon Marshall of the New York Jets
- Michael Thomas of the Miami Dolphins
- Benjamin Watson and Aeneas Williams of the Baltimore Ravens
Watch the nonprofit’s livestream of the town hall below.