Request to attend in-person or watch the livestream on December 10
Contact: Jon Solomon
The Aspen Institute Sports and Society Program
Jon.Solomon@AspenInstitute.org
The Future of Sports Activism conversation takes place Dec. 10 in Washington, DC. Speakers include former Washington Wizards player/author Etan Thomas, University of Maryland football player Ellis McKennie, and four-time WNBA championship coach Cheryl Reeve.
Dec. 10 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m. ET (lunch to follow)
The Aspen Institute, 2300 N St. NW, Washington, DC
Smith Conference Room (8th floor)
The Future of Sports Activism: Reimagining its Bottom Line conversation examines what if athlete activism was a regular feature of sports. If more athletes spoke up on matters of public importance, what would be the implications in a number of areas, such as fan engagement, sponsorships, relationships within teams, athlete health and welfare, and society in general? Speakers will be:
- Etan Thomas, former NBA player/author of “We Matter: Athletes and Activism”
- Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx coach and general manager
- Israel Gutierrez, ESPN reporter
- Joe Briggs, NFL Players Association public policy counsel
- Ellis McKennie, University of Maryland football player
- Liz Clarke, Washington Post sports reporter
For press inquiries, please contact Jon.Solomon@aspeninstitute.org. Please notify us in advance if you plan to attend the event.
For those not attending in person, there will be a livestream broadcast at as.pn/SportsActivism of both panel sessions from 10 am-12 pm ET. The broadcast will also be available after the event.
For regular updates from the event, follow the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program on Twitter at @AspenInstSports. Join the conversation using #AspenSportsLab.
This event marks the fourth installment of the Future of Sports conversation series in 2018. Previous discussions explored the Future of Football: Reimagining the Game’s Pipeline, Future of College Sports: Reimagining Athlete Pay, and Future of Sports Betting: Reimagining its Public Value.
The Future of Sports series aims to help stakeholders think through key questions shaping the future of our games, the sports industry and its impact on society. Content from the series includes:
- Analysis if flag football becomes the sport’s standard until high school
- The history behind NCAA amateurism
- Legalized sports betting can help build healthy communities
- How sports betting occurs in other countries
- Why former NBA player Etan Thomas says sports activism matters
The mission of the Sports & Society program is to convene leaders, foster dialogue, and inspire solutions that help sport serve the public interest, with a focus on the development of healthy children and communities. The program provides a venue for thought leadership where knowledge can be deepened and breakthrough strategies explored on a range of issues. Its signature initiatives are Project Play and Future of Sports.
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
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