Sporting Kansas City will show solidarity with Major League Soccer and Black Players for Change tonight when the club kicks off its MLS is Back Tournament campaign against Minnesota United FC at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and the ESPN app.
Black Players for Change, launched last month on Juneteenth, is an organization comprised of 170 Black MLS players with the goal of evoking systemic change inside the league and across the country. The organization addresses racial inequalities in MLS, stands with those fighting racism in the soccer world and strives to positively impact Black communities in the U.S. and Canada.
Ahead of tonight’s highly anticipated match at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World, Sporting players will support the Black Lives Matter movement by wearing special warm-up tops and MLS Unites patches. The club's captain will also wear a unique armband as part of the initiative.
Black Players for Change Warm-up Tops
Black Players for Change wanted apparel for the demonstration to be created a black designer. Warren Crevalle of the Philadelphia Union designed the tops and owns his own clothing brand. The Black Players for Change shirt message acknowledges and identifies the players affected by racial injustice. These shirts help the league's Black players stand out and to be seen. MLS connected Creavalle with adidas to develop additional apparel items for players around the league to show their support.
Captain's Armband
All clubs in the MLS is Back Tournament will feature captain's armbands that were designed with the support of the Black players in each market. The armband shows uniformity in support of Black Lives Matter while also helping each club express its individuality.
Sporting Kansas City’s captain’s armband features "Black Lives Matter" messaging. The background is a repeat of the Sporting team motto "From Many Paths, We Become One." That message adorns the team locker room both at both Children’s Mercy Park and the Compass Minerals National Performance Center.
MLS Unites Patch
All clubs will wear a special “MLS Unites” patch for their first match of the MLS is Back Tournament. The patch will have the MLS, MLS WORKS and MLS Players Association logos, in addition to a blank space for players to write in the name of a person they want to honor or an inspirational message.
The person can be an individual committed to driving positive social change and ending racial injustice through the Black Lives Matter movement or a person who has been a victim of COVID-19 or police brutality. Players can also elect to write in a name or message that has significant meaning to them.
Below are the names Sporting Kansas City players have selected for their jersey patches.
<strong>#</strong> |
<strong>LAST NAME</strong> |
<strong>FIRST NAME</strong> |
<strong>WRITTEN ON PATCH</strong> |
<div align="right">5</div> |
<div>Besler</div> |
<div>Matt</div> |
<div>Barb Goebel</div> |
<div align="right">27</div> |
<div>Busio</div> |
<div>Gianluca</div> |
<div>Tamir Rice</div> |
<div align="right">13</div> |
<div>Dia</div> |
<div>Amadou</div> |
<div>Elijah McClain</div> |
<div align="right">28</div> |
<div>Duke</div> |
<div>Cameron</div> |
<div>Ezell Ford</div> |
<div align="right">15</div> |
<div>Espinoza</div> |
<div>Roger</div> |
<div>Trayvon Martin</div> |
<div align="right">12</div> |
<div>Fernandes</div> |
<div>Gerso</div> |
<div>Michael Brown</div> |
<div align="right">23</div> |
<div>Freeman</div> |
<div>Tyler</div> |
<div>Philando Castile</div> |
<div align="right">21</div> |
<div>Hernandez</div> |
<div>Felipe</div> |
<div>Ahmaud Arbery</div> |
<div align="right">19</div> |
<div>Hurtado</div> |
<div>Erik</div> |
<div>Dominique Dunn</div> |
<div align="right">17</div> |
<div>Kinda</div> |
<div>Gadi</div> |
<div>Solomon Teka</div> |
<div align="right">26</div> |
<div>Lindsey</div> |
<div>Jaylin</div> |
<div>Walter Scott</div> |
<div align="right">36</div> |
<div>Martins</div> |
<div>Luis</div> |
<div>Billy Birmingham</div> |
<div align="right">29</div> |
<div>Melia</div> |
<div>Tim</div> |
<div>Botham Jean</div> |
<div align="right">9</div> |
<div>Pulido</div> |
<div>Alan</div> |
<div>Raymond Santana</div> |
<div align="right">24</div> |
<div>Pulskamp</div> |
<div>John</div> |
<div>Kendrick Johnson</div> |
<div align="right">4</div> |
<div>Puncec</div> |
<div>Roberto</div> |
<div>Keith Childress Jr.</div> |
<div align="right">22</div> |
<div>Reid</div> |
<div>Winston</div> |
<div>Stephon Clark</div> |
<div align="right">7</div> |
<div>Russell</div> |
<div>Johnny</div> |
<div>Amiya Braxton</div> |
<div align="right">20</div> |
<div>Salloi</div> |
<div>Daniel</div> |
<div>Eric Garner</div> |
<div align="right">1</div> |
<div>Sanchez</div> |
<div>Richard</div> |
<div>Malcolm X</div> |
<div align="right">6</div> |
<div>Sanchez</div> |
<div>Ilie</div> |
<div>Joan (father with cancer)</div> |
<div align="right">11</div> |
<div>Shelton</div> |
<div>Khiry</div> |
<div>Alton Sterling</div> |
<div align="right">16</div> |
<div>Smith</div> |
<div>Graham</div> |
<div>Paul Childs</div> |
<div align="right">75</div> |
<div>Kuzain</div> |
<div>Wan</div> |
<div>Breonna Taylor</div> |
<div align="right">8</div> |
<div>Zusi</div> |
<div>Graham</div> |
<div>George Floyd</div> |
Sporting Kansas City players will also take a knee at the start of tonight’s match during a minute of silence. In their words…
“Taking a minute of silence to honor victims has always been a sports tradition. We’re taking a knee and having a minute of silence for all the victims of not just police brutality that we know and don’t know about, but also all the thousands of victims dating since the beginning of slavery.”
Black Players for Change Goals within MLS:
- To increase diversity hiring in coaching, general manager and executive positions
- To collaborate on impending league-wide implicit bias training
- To create cultural and educational initiatives
- To have input on matters related to Black representation at executive levels of MLS and MLSPA front offices
- To receive sustained funding of BCP by MLS
Black Players for Change Goals Beyond MLS:
- To advance the attention to human rights inequalities from protest to programs and policies that address systemic racism.
- BPC’s areas of focus to positively impact Black communities are social justice reforms in health equality, economic opportunity, and ending structural discrimination.
