In an event that will bring together youth, community members, representatives from the 11 pro sports organizations of greater Los Angeles, LAPD officers and civic leaders, the public is welcomed to the student-led The Alliance Unity March & Dialogue to emphasize Los Angeles is united against racism. The event is July 18th and begins at 10am.
The event, which has been coordinated in partnership with Brotherhood Crusade, will begin at Exposition Park. Participants will stage at the fountain at the Rose Garden in Exposition Park, and a DJ will be there to provide a festive, joyful tone as the march starts. Materials will also be provided for the youth to create supportive signs to carry for their walk together. The youth-led march will begin at 11am and include community members and LAPD officers.
The march will conclude at Banc of California Stadium. Participants in the march will have lunch at noon and listen to remarks from leaders and a youth representative at the stadium. The marchers will be directed to the Rooftop LA pavilion where lunch will be served. Directly following lunch, a smaller cohort of attendees will participate by invitation in a facilitated dialogue. Event programming will end at 2pm.
Scheduled to speak to event participants are Kelly Cheeseman, Chief Operating Officer of AEG Sports; LAPD Chief of Police Michel R. Moore; Lon Rosen, Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer of the Los Angeles Dodgers; A.G. Spanos, President of Business Operations of the San Diego Chargers; and Benny Tran, LAFC Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy & Development.
The Alliance unified after the highly-publicized deaths of Black American citizens – most prominently George Floyd. This march also commemorates the first year of The Alliance working together, in partnership the Play Equity Fund, a 501(c)3 public charity, established by the LA84 Foundation to drive social change through sport.
“We look forward to this uplifting event led by young people and joining members of the community, the sports teams of greater Los Angeles and numerous partners,” said Renata Simril, President of the Play Equity Fund. “As we reach our first year with The Alliance, with the sports teams in LA working collaboratively in a timely and impactful way to support youth in marginalized communities, we hope this event will help show the spirit of unity that can exist as we build more connections and create more equitable experiences for our future generations.”
The Brotherhood Crusade is sharing in coordinating the July 18th march, and has also been key in developing the curriculum for The Alliance Youth Empowerment Program for student-athletes in two local high schools. Student athletes from both high schools in this pilot program learned about advocacy, leadership, and systemic inequalities that affect their communities. Prior to the end of the school semester in May, students also learned from pro athletes and leaders from The Alliance organizations.
“We are truly excited to be a partner for The Alliance Unity March and Dialogue,” said Brotherhood Crusade President and CEO Charisse Bremond-Weaver. “It is important that our youth of South Los Angeles have a voice in the community. Being able to advocate for your rights is a human right!”
The 11 teams that form The ALLIANCE: Los Angeles includes the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Chargers, LA Clippers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Football Club, LA Galaxy, LA Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Sparks.
In this five-year commitment, The Alliance works to bring awareness to the inequities that exist in communities of color, empower youth to create change and expose young people to career opportunities that exist in the sports industry beyond being a pro athlete.
The Play Equity Fund is the only nonprofit worldwide dedicated to Play Equity as a social justice issue to bring the transformative power of sport and structured play to youth – regardless of their race, socioeconomic status or gender.
Parking information for The Alliance Unity March & Dialogue is available here: http://expositionpark.ca.gov/about-us/
