Black Players
For Change
Reimagining a Movement into a Lasting Legacy
Premise
Black Players for Change (BPC) emerged during the urgency of the Black Lives Matter movement, becoming a vital voice against racism in Major League Soccer. But as momentum slowed, the organization risked being seen as tied to a single moment in time. To grow its influence, BPC needed to evolve from protest-driven activism into a future-focused nonprofit with the credibility to lead, fundraise, and partner at the highest levels of the sports ecosystem.
The Problem
There is no single entity that is driven to eradicate discrimination on the global stage of soccer. The Players, Clubs, Leagues, Partners, and media are asking (pleading) for education, governance, and change.
SOCCER
EQUALITY
SOCCER IS A POSITIVE BRIDGE BETWEEN SPORT AND LIFE.
We believe that soccer is a global and universal language that can be used to advance and advocate for equality.
I partnered with the new Executive Director as both strategic advisor and design lead, tasked with elevating BPC’s positioning into a Tier 1 nonprofit partner. This meant clarifying its vision, strengthening brand identity, and delivering the strategic and design tools necessary to secure league-wide partnerships and long-term funding.
Old Logo
New Logo
Discovery & Action
Through discovery workshops, I helped leadership define a bold, inclusive vision that expanded BPC’s mission beyond anti-racism toward equality for all players, coaches, referees, and fans. I developed new brand pillars, guidelines, and storytelling frameworks, while also designing comprehensive assets—social templates, fundraising toolkits, event playbooks, and partnership decks—that signaled professionalism and impact.
To showcase potential, I prototyped a Juneteenth activation and built a partnership ecosystem strategy, positioning BPC to engage Adidas, MLS, and global brands as cultural partners. Every element was designed to marry strategic clarity with design excellence—ensuring BPC showed up with credibility and consistency across all touchpoints.
Juneteenth
2024
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Discovery & Action
The transformation unlocked partnerships with Adidas, Lululemon, Vans, New Balance, Fanatics, and MLS. Funding grew 400% from $1m to $5m, staff expanded, and donor networks deepened. The historic “I AM #19” activation became MLS’s most successful campaign ever, with 50M+ impressions and league-wide impact.
We felt we had something here. Despite some programs defunding programs, we found opportunity to build momentum. The era of the new Executive Director had arrived. The potential was hopeful, and future work was going to be hard, but optimism was building.
Today, BPC is recognized as the premier player-led equality movement in soccer—expanding advocacy 300% and securing influence across MLS, the Premier League, and beyond.
