CLEVELAND — At the National Urban League Conference in Cleveland, important conversations like the intersection between sports and social justice are taking place at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland.
“In Cleveland, the intersection between sports and social justice has been here forever,” said Kevin Clayton, Executive Vice President and Chief Impact and Equity Officer for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
With three professional sports teams and a soon-to-be WNBA team, Clayton said sports could not be left out of the conversation at this year’s National Urban League Conference in Cleveland.
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“When you think about the 1967 summit that was held here right on 105th and Euclid, that’s when Muhammad Ali was here and Jim Brown held a summit (and) brought all these famous athletes and civic leaders here, it was to talk about. It was really the first time that a conversation around social justice and sports happened,” said Clayton.
Since then, Clayton said athletes in Cleveland— and across the country— have been using their platforms to address social justice issues like hunger, gun violence and racial equality.
“How can we leverage what we do on the court to help the community off the court,” said Clayton.
As board chair of the Urban League of Greater Cleveland, in addition to his work with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Clayton said this work is special for him.
“This absolutely at the core for me personally. It’s a spiritual journey that I know my calling was to come back to Cleveland to do this work,” said Clayton.
Now, Clayton and Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, said it’s about setting an example for others to follow.
“Sports essentially is a business. It’s fundamentally an entertainment business but as such it can be a pace setter on what I like to call corporate social responsibility, so the hope is if the Cavaliers do it, other businesses will follow,” said Morial.
Even Marsha Mockabee, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Cleveland, said she’s hopeful there will be more of a social justice impact in sports.
“Our missions and our goals are really similar when it comes to their fan involvement and the things that we do in our community to uplift the community and empower our residents,” said Mockabee.
As the historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization’s first full day came to an end on Wednesday, organizers closed it out with a celebration filled with food, music and even a fashion show to kick the week off.
“To be able to serve in this community by leveraging sports and connecting back to the causes of the urban league is everything,” said Clayton.
Clayton hopes the agenda of social justice in all communities will inspire people to come together to overcome these barriers.
