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Angel City FC

Angel City Football Club Launches Anti-Racist Project with Groundbreaking Soccer Coalition Led by Common Goal

February 24, 2021 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release


The Anti-Racist Project (ARP), an action-based approach to tackling systemic racism in soccer and society, launched today, led by a diverse coalition of leaders from the U.S. soccer industry that are tired of the continual lack of action that follows the repeated condemnation of racism.

The ARP was created by Common Goal, a global social impact collective, together with former USMNT player Tony Sanneh, Oakland Roots (USL) - the first US professional team to join Common Goal - Chicago Fire FC (MLS), Angel City FC (NWSL) and U.S National Team supporter group, the American Outlaws. USMNT and Manchester City F.C. goalkeeper Zack Steffen is one the first players to pledge his individual support to the project. The coalition is calling on fans, players, teams, and leagues to join the collective effort against racism.

This ground-breaking coalition, forged by a shared determination to act, aims to fund and implement a toolkit designed by Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) experts across the U.S. soccer landscape that will provide anti-racist training for players, coaches, fans, club staff and executives from grassroots to elite level. With existing resources from the launch partners the project will train 5,000 coaches, 60,000 young people, and 115 staff in over 400 communities in the first year. With more support this positive impact will be accelerated and scaled, therefore the members of the coalition are inviting all industry stakeholders interested in making soccer more equitable to join the project, first in the U.S. and then internationally.

Manchester City and USMNT goalkeeper and founder of VOICE NOW, Zack Steffen said: "There's been so much talk over the last months about racism in soccer and beyond, and enough is enough. It's time to take action. We need to show people how to be anti-racist. I wanted to join this project because it is the kind of collective action necessary to make large-scale change, and I hope that this project will go worldwide and create a new culture of inclusion in as many countries as possible."

The Anti-Racist Project will scale a modified version of the successful curriculum developed by The Sanneh Foundation over the last 20 years.

"I remember being chased around the field being called the N-word" says Sanneh. "We have made some progress but not enough. Racism takes many forms. Sometimes it's an obvious individual manifestation, but it's also the structural barriers embedded in the game at different levels, but the end result is the same - people of color are excluded from the game. We know what the problem is - now is the time to go and fix it."

Evan Whitfield of Common Goal, a lawyer and former MLS player, said: "Common Goal is all about unleashing the collective power of soccer to create positive action. The Anti-Racist Project is led by a unique and diverse group prepared to aggregate their individual and organizational power. There are no Black majority owners of MLS Clubs, there are zero Black coaches in the NWSL. This needs to change, and the responsibility to make that change lies with everyone - not just people of color. We have a solution that can transform the system from top down and bottom up. I'm proud that my former club, Chicago Fire, is one of the pioneers of this project and I'm looking forward to more players, clubs and other soccer leaders joining us."

"The needle doesn't move unless everyone is involved," said Oakland Roots defender Max Ornstil. "It's not enough for white people to just say they support people of color. As white people we need to be willing to get uncomfortable, be vulnerable and have difficult conversations. Because change doesn't happen without that. If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem."

"We want to be a part of the change that we seek in this country," said Donald Wine, In-Stadium Chair for the American Outlaws. "As a Black man, I've been subjected to racial abuse in the stands and in life. We have to rid all its elements from the game. That doesn't mean just having harsh conversations. It means actually eliminating racism from our sport and implementing real solutions that make equity and inclusion a priority in everything we do. As a supporters group, we are proud to stand with everyone calling for changing the game, and we're ready to get started with the hard work that will be needed to eradicate racism out of soccer."

"Angel City FC's mission is to make an impact on and off-the-field, and our partnership with Common Goal is a natural extension of our commitment to equity in sports. We are proud to support this important initiative and very much look forward to working with Common Goal and the other great partners involved to develop a powerful curriculum and supporting in any way we can," said Julie Uhrman, Co-Founder and President, Angel City FC.

"We're committed to Standing for Chicago and fully believe in the Club's Pledge and want to be held accountable in the fight for racial and social justice," said Senior Vice President of Football in the Neighborhoods Paul Cadwell. "The responsibilities of the Club lie beyond the field and we recognize our work within the community is ongoing. The partnership with Common Goal and the Anti-Racist Project allows a collaboration by football clubs around the globe to make an impact in the game, but even more so in our communities."

The Anti-Racist Project is open to all soccer stakeholders who would like to form part of the solution to ending racism in soccer and society. To support or join the project, or for more information, please visit www.common-goal.org.

ABOUT THE SANNEH FOUNDATION

The Sanneh Foundation (Sanneh) is a Saint Paul, Minnesota based non-profit created to serve the holistic youth development needs of increasingly diverse communities. Sanneh's mission is to empower youth by supporting and promoting educational attainment through in-school and after-school support; improve lives by providing programs that strengthen physical health and social and emotional development, and unite communities by advancing diversity, equity, and community well-being. For more information, visit www.thesannehfoundation.org.

ABOUT CHICAGO FIRE FOOTBALL CLUB

The Chicago Fire Football Club was founded in 1997 on the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire and will kick off its 24th season in Major League Soccer in 2021. The Fire have won six major domestic championship titles, including the 1998 MLS Cup, the 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups, as well as the 2003 Supporters' Shield. The Club's charitable arm, the Chicago Fire Foundation, was recognized as ESPN's 2019 Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year. The Fire plays their home matches at historic Soldier Field. For more information, visit www.chicagofirefc.com.

ABOUT ANGEL CITY FOOTBALL CLUB

Angel City Football Club is a member of the National Women's Soccer League in the United States and will take the pitch at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles in Spring 2022. The team is founded by Academy Award-winning actress and activist Natalie Portman, technology venture capitalist Kara Nortman, media and gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman, and venture capitalist, 776 founder & Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Learn more at www.angelcity.com or follow the team on social media @weareangelcity.

ABOUT AMERICAN OUTLAWS

The American Outlaws dedicates itself to organize passionate and enthusiastic support for our men's, women's and youth national soccer teams wherever and whenever they take the field. Founded in 2007, we commit to a welcoming, inclusive and accessible atmosphere for all at our games and events. We advocate for our members and the larger national team fan base and hold accountable those who are responsible for the good of the game. We unite and strengthen through our network of local chapters to build community, host watches parties and other events and mobilize for charitable works.

ABOUT OAKLAND ROOTS

Oakland Roots Sports Club seeks to harness the magic of Oakland and the power of sport as a force for social good. Whether on the pitch, in the stands, or within the community, Oakland Roots will represent our one-of-a-kind city with passion, pride, and commitment to all things Oakland. Player by player. Supporter by supporter. Resident by resident. One day at a time. One game at a time. This is about Oakland first, always.

ABOUT COMMON GOAL

Common Goal is a collective social impact movement in global football created in 2017 by streetfootball world, the world's leading organisation in the field of football for good. Common Goal enables professional football players, managers, officials and clubs to donate a minimum of 1% of their earnings to support high-impact initiatives that use football to drive progress towards the Global Goals.

Since its inception, more than 180 professional football players and managers from over 40 countries have joined Common Goal, including Serge Gnabry, Pernille Harder, Jürgen Klopp, Alex Morgan, Paulo Dybala and Juan Mata. Influential football figures such as UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, and the iconic former player Eric Cantona have also joined the movement, along with professional clubs such as FC Nords jælland in Denmark, and the Oakland Roots in the U.S. So far, Common Goal has generated over €3.5M for high-impact football for good programmes empowering young people all over the world.

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