In a continuing fight against racism, and to support social justice through the world of sport, Association Football Club Ann Arbor is proud to announce a key new partnership with The Sporting Justice Collective.
The Sporting Justice Collective is a cooperative platform designed to bring together scholars, athletes, and activists from around the world. The organization was formed in 2020 to create equitable change through sport with an emphasis on anti-racist and anti-colonial practices.
AFC Ann Arbor continue to take steps in combatting racism and inequities within the game and the community as a whole, and this partnership will help guide the club in its most challenging conversations.
One of these steps includes the decision to forego playing the national anthem prior to our home games. This is one step in a larger accountability and action plan we have been working on for our club to become actively anti-racist. Collaborating with The Sporting Justice Collective, USL Black Players Alliance (USLBPA) and the Main Street Hooligans to build this plan, we hope to create actual change for our players and community.
Dr. Anthony Weems, Founder of The Sporting Justice Collective, said, “The Sporting Justice Collective is proud to partner with AFC Ann Arbor in the pursuit of anti-racism in and through sport.” He would add, “Sport organizations play key roles in these processes and we look forward to collectively making sport a more equitable space.”
Club Founder Jamey Amrine also stated, “As a white owner in a predominantly white city, this partnership is important to me as one of many steps we need to take as a club to be actively anti-racist. The actions we will take as an organization as part of this program will, I hope, educate and activate our community in equity and justice issues.”
Club Chair Bilal Saeed along with Dr. Weems were both part of a panel in December 2020 hosted by the Collegiate Soccer Society of Michigan alongside Dr. Oshiro, Brandon Miller of the USLBPA, and moderated by Fletcher Sharpe. The panel was dedicated to building anti-racist soccer clubs, and today AFC Ann Arbor are proud that this new partnership with be essential in continuing to advocate for anti-racism measures within our club, community, and sport.
Saeed added, “The Sporting Justice Collective has become an amazing resource for our club to find impactful ways to fight racism. To have scholars like Dr. [Kwame] Agyemang, Dr. [Kristi] Oshiro, and Dr. Weems closely supporting the club in our anti-racist efforts allows us to do more than just make statements, sell shirts and raise money.” Saeed would also add emphatically, “This is one of the most important partnerships in our club's history no doubt."