Moments Matter: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

LOS ANGELES (Jan 18, 2021) – The 11 teams of The ALLIANCE: Los Angeles honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” To show our continued support for important social justice issues, The ALLIANCE: Los Angeles created a video that included footage from recent Black Lives Matter marches, supportive content from Alliance players and teams, individual messages, and powerful images of Dr. King to highlight moments that matter.

This year, professional athletes and teams across The ALLIANCE: Los Angeles took an active role in addressing social justice issues and promoting social change.

Individual athletes spoke up to support the Black Lives Matter movement through social media, press conferences, and their individual actions. Professional teams in the NBA, WNBA, MLB, and MLS took a collective stance and postponed their games in response to the Jacob Blake shooting in Wisconsin over the summer.

Across the different sports leagues nationally and internationally, players stood united before games and donned shirts and masks with messages promoting social justice issues throughout their seasons.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Lakers acknowledged Dr. King’s legacy with tributes at their game against the Golden State Warriors. Lakers players spoke about how Dr. King’s work and inspiring words have influenced their lives personally and impacted their lives professionally.

The ALLIANCE: Los Angeles stands for social justice and change. The Alliance continues to amplify voices against injustice and shine a bright light on the moments that matter through sport. As we remember Dr. King’s legacy, this video encourages individuals to stand against social injustice, and for everyone to understand that your voice matters.

Through leadership and social justice programs in local schools and other activations, we are working for change and to build a brighter future for young people. Our commitment to racial equity is for the long-term, and to build new opportunities in communities. We know it is a just a start.

The ALLIANCE: Los Angeles are allies and advocates in driving social change, united behind the common goal to work toward producing the change that Dr. Martin Luther King fought for.

The Play Equity Fund is the only nonprofit worldwide dedicated to Play Equity as a social justice issue. Its mission is to bring the transformative power of sport and structured play to youth who have been left behind by the current system.

In neighborhoods with high poverty rates, opportunities to play – a globally recognized fundamental human right of childhood – oftentimes do not exist, particularly for kids of color.

Barriers to access include the elimination or reduction of enrichment of programs, budget challenges for afterschool programs including sports, safe passage to playgrounds, transportation, lack of trained and well-paid coaches and the rising costs of athletics and intramural programs. These factors severely limit access and opportunities for kids of color to build a pathway to lifelong well-being.