Over 70 MLS Players Form Black Players Coalition

More than 70 Black MLS players formed the Black Players Coalition of MLS on Friday. 

The new organization said it will, "address the racial inequalities in our league, stand with all those fighting racism in the world of soccer, and positively impact black communities across the United States and Canada," per ESPN's Jeff Carlisle. 

The coalition will be led by Toronto FC defender and BPC executive director Justin Morrow. It will lobby for diversity initiatives across MLS, including "implicit bias training, cultural education courses, and diversification hiring practices," per a BPC statement. 

The announcement of the Black Players Coalition coincides with Juneteenth, which commemorates the day in which news of the Emancipation Proclamation was delivered to enslaved people in Galveston, Texas. Those in Galveston on June 19, 1865 were the last to learn of the abolition of slavery across the Confederacy. 

"As we celebrate Juneteenth and the coming together of our coalition, we must remind ourselves that such progressivism was once met with vehement backlash," the Black Players Coalition said in a statement. "May this reminder serve as a warning to us all that confronting systemic racism head-on will never be a smooth, constantly upward trending path, but rather a timeless battle that will force us to reinvent the very essence of our institutions."

The Black Players Coalition has already secured $75,000 in charitable contributions. MLS issued a statement supporting the coalition on Friday, noting it "looks forward to continued and longstanding collaborations with the Black Players Coalition."

"MLS proudly recognizes and supports the Black Players Coalition of MLS–a group of players who today, on Juneteenth, have established themselves as influential change leaders," the statement said. "The League looks forward to continued and longstanding collaborations with the Black Players Coalition of MLS through efforts aimed at developing the game in Black communities, prioritizing diversity, and addressing implicit bias through league-wide cultural and educational initiatives."