In their words: Black Players for Change co-founders reflect on a 5-year journey
It started with a taking a knee, one, by one, by one kneel. Some 170 Black players and coaches in Major League Soccer assembled at the MLS Is Back Tournament in the bubble, and in solidarity, formed a coalition made visible by a united demonstration that revealed that created a protest, a platform and a purpose.
Five years later, this coalition, known as Black Players for Change (BPC), is showing up for the 2025 MLS All-Star Week in Austin, not as guests but as contributors and stakeholders in an increasingly more accessible and equitable American soccer ecosystem.
The core driving this change is the leadership of are BPC co-founders Justin Morrow, Jeremy Ebobisse, Jalil Anibaba and Earl Edward Jr. Dating back to when Since this group platoon convened the league’s Black player pool in a group chat in reaction to the murder of George Floyd in 2020, BPC has grown from a text chain into a change-making nonprofit coalition, driving new policies and partnerships for the betterment of the Black diaspora in soccer – nationally and locally.
Taking a look back, Hhere’s how BPC co-founders and executive director Allen Hopkins Jr. reflect on five years as an organization and preview the change to come:
Why BPC coalition was built with urgency
To form BPC was the only option for Morrow.
“If we don’t do it, nobody else is going to, and that’s exactly how we feel,” Morrow told the USA TODAY Network in June 2021. “That’s what so special about this organization.”
From its founding on Juneteenth 2020 to its 2024 Juneteenth campaign reaching 51 million people, BPC leadership has committed to carrying Black history while pointing toward future success.
MLS All-Star Week in Austin means BPC, in partnership with RBC Wealth Management, will host its fourth Hometown Heroes Showcase, a series that honors individuals and organizations bringing positive impact to local communities, particularly through initiatives involving soccer and youth.
BPC and MLS extended its partnership in April through the 2028 MLS season.
Progress, not without pressure
Hopkins, who was named executive director of BPC in July 2023, has witnessed the coalition’s journey from all angles – activism, league office meetings and community work.
“It's that spirit of unity, collaboration, partnership,” Hopkins told GOAL.com in February. “You know that when all those things, the hard things - they call them soft skills, yeah, really the hard skills - when those things come together like that is when we're really going to get to a place where we feel like we're the best in the world."
But sustaining momentum hasn’t been easy, nor has perfection been the objective.
“And I just think that grace, empathy, love, as long as you're moving with that as a society, like it's going to be a constant progression,” Edwards Jr. told the MLS Players’ Association in 2024. “So I think that's ultimately why we established the organization we did. And I think there's a lightness to it. I don't feel pressure to get it right, or please people. Or like, ‘oh, did you all get the punishment right on this one’? And it's like, ultimately, we're trying to create this brotherhood. It's gonna take time to approach it in a sense that people can make mistakes, give grace and be restored to the community. It's, it's, it's a lot to reverse. But I think we're on the right path, and to just trust that tap into it, ask questions, and everyone can really play a strong role in having an impact in the space.
Five years later, still leading from the front
From collaborating to build 12 soccer mini-pitches nationwide to a coaching diversity initiative with the San Jose Earthquakes to working in conjunction with the league and the players association to form an anti-discrimination policy, BPC’s imprint is visible and continues through 2025 and onward.
“Simply put, you can’t have a successful soccer culture here if you don’t include the various cultures that make up this melting pot of the U.S. — from a youth and grassroots level, up to the professional level, all the way up to a governing and management level,” Ebobisse wrote in The Players Tribune in October 2023. “If you fail to do that, you’re going to create a sport that’s only serving a specific category of kids. That’s no way to grow a sport. We have to do better. Our ability to compete on a domestic and global stage is contingent on our willingness to break down the barriers limiting pathways into the sport.”
“Our intention has always been inclusivity, moving with love, and trying to generate this empathy and care for every player in this league. And if we’ve missed or fallen short or or haven’t got in there fully to maybe the way people think we should, we’re still growing. We’re going to get there, everyone’s going to get there.”
About Black Players for Change
Black Players for Change (BPC) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization consisting of over 170+ Black players, coaches and staff from MLS, working to bridge the racial equality gap that exists in society. BPC is committed to tackling the racial injustices that have limited Black people from having an equitable stake in the game of soccer and society. Among the many goals, the organization strives to advance the attention on human rights inequalities from protests to programs, partnerships, and policies that address systemic discrimination. For more information visit www.BlackPlayersForChange.org.
