The New England Revolution announced Thursday that it will start the New England Revolution Players Collaborative Fund, created to "support organizations working to create meaningful change in the New England community," according to a release from the MLS club, with Black Players for Change to be the first organization funded through the initiative.
The Collaborative Fund, involving a committee of Revolution players, including Co-Founder of Black Players for Change Earl Edwards Jr., will distribute $20,000 every other month, donated by the Kraft family, awarding grants to local grassroots organizations that are working to promote equity and end systemic racism.
Black Players for Change is an independent organization consisting of more than 170 MLS players, coaches and staff who are working to bridge the racial equality gap that exists in soccer and society.
“It is a great honor for the Kraft family to work with the New England Revolution players to establish a fund that will support organizations and people engaged in the ongoing fight for racial justice and equality,” Josh Kraft, President of Kraft Family Philanthropies, said in the release. “It is crucial that we continue to support them in new, tangible and meaningful ways. We are proud to provide continued assistance to those who are leading this vital work in our community.”
Black Players for Change will collaborate closely with the Revolution player committee to invest the money in the Greater Boston area, identifying organizations and initiatives doing work around equity and fighting systemic racism.
“As a board member of Black Players for Change and as a player of the New England Revolution, I am extremely grateful for what the Kraft family has committed to with the New England Revolution Players Collaborative Fund,” Edwards said as part of the release. “This is a concerted effort that is required to establish real change in a system that was so meticulously built to oppress people of color. The thoughtfulness of the Kraft family has exceeded my expectations, and I hope it sets a strong example for other clubs across the league.”
A portion of the $20,000 is already earmarked for funding the construction of mini soccer pitches in under-resourced communities nationwide. This is part of a national initiative by Black Players for Change, in collaboration with the Black Women’s Player Collective, to build dozens of such mini pitches across the United States.
In media availability on Thursday, Edwards added, about working with the Revolution on creating the fund, "It’s been an extremely gratifying process. At previous clubs, I’ve tried to do certain things to try to address issues of systemic racism. Since I’ve been here, the support in that regard has been tremendous. For the Krafts to come up with such a fund on their own and then collaborate with myself and fellow players, and make a commitment to this degree, is something I’m extremely grateful for. And then, obviously to be a member of BPC [Black Players for Change] and have that come to our organization to start is something that I know will go a long way. We’re going to do our best to make sure it goes into the mini pitches that we’ve been building and provide kids with access that they haven’t had before and continue to effect change in our league and in our societies throughout the country.”
Edwards went on to reflect on the progress that Black Players for Change has made in its initial year of work addressing systemic racism.
“We’ve been able to accomplish a lot in the last year," he reflected. "Again, the process has been really gratifying. I think some of the biggest steps that we’ve taken that are tangible would be getting DE&I hire on the league side, Shola Winley. And then we’ve had three players now step up on the executive board of the Players’ Association as well to get that representation at levels we haven’t had before.
"There’s a lot of things that have been done in terms of wearing shirts, Instagram posts, tweeting different things, and using our platforms," he continued, "but to have things that are tangible where we have people in positions to make real decisions that will affect his league, change this league, and the outlook for people of color moving forward, I think we’re going to reap a lot of benefits from it.”
The release notes that the Revolution Players Collaborative Fund is a key pillar of the club’s C.H.A.N.G.E. platform, which seeks to support and uplift organizations and community leaders who are working to combat inequity and racial injustice. C.H.A.N.G.E. stands for "Converse, help, amplify, nurture, galvanize, and educate," and is being offered as a way for people to educate themselves on social justice issues and foster open dialogues about race and racism.
The club will be unveiling additional initiatives, partnerships, and events ahead of the Revolution’s “Match for C.H.A.N.G.E.” at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 21 against FC Cincinnati.
