Join the Rose Bowl Institute on Thursday, Dec. 17, for a free one-hour discussion on race and sports moderated by ESPN’s Jessica Mendoza that will be streamed on the institute’s Facebook and YouTube channels.
The discussion will feature Dave Roberts, manager of the L.A. Dodgers, NFL Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson, L.A. Galaxy phenomenon Julian Araujo, and Julie Uhrman, founder and president of Angel City, a group that’s working to bring a professional women’s soccer team to Los Angeles, as part of the National Women’s Soccer League.
The event is titled “The Rose Bowl Institute Race and Sports Dialogue: Past, Present & Future,” a one-hour discussion starting at 1 p.m. The program is the second on race and sports from the institute after its initial content in August featured Sharon Robinson, Ronnie Lott, Cobi Jones and Taylor Branch.
The panelists will address the ways that sports influence broader society regarding racial discrimination. Guests will address the difficulties that players of all races and ethnicities have experienced while playing at the high school, collegiate and professional levels.
“Sports have the opportunity to lead by example,” said Charlie Firestone, president of the Rose Bowl Institute. “Players’ opinions are seen and valued by their fans, especially young ones. League policies matter to the society at large as they are highly visible, involve large populations, and have important symbolism. For these reasons, it is important for the Rose Bowl Institute to continue to address how sports can lead the body politic in issues of racial equity, and also how sports institutions can improve in areas of diversity, equity and inclusion.”
The Rose Bowl Institute (RBI) is an arm of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and Rose Bowl Stadium that champions sportsmanship and aims to “leverage the power of sports to unite people everywhere.”
The Institute concentrates on sportsmanship, leadership and citizenship activities, and uses the iconic Rose Bowl and its digital footprint to engage civic and business leaders, athletes, students, sportscasters, journalists, and others in activities to highlight sports values and their impact on the broader society.
For instructions on how to watch the interaction, visit www.rosebowllive.tv/events/
