I was honored to be invited to Nike’s Black Community Voices Dinner at their New York City Headquarters again this year. This evening, which was the 5th annual event, celebrated legacy, community building, and supporting underrepresented participants in sport. 

After an introduction by sports analyst and Georgetown Hoya, Monica McNutt, there was a panel on sport and equity which was moderated by John Jowers (VP of Communications, Nike). Panelists included Keia Clarke (CEO, WNBA NY Liberty), Liz Bacelar (Founder, Girls Unleashed), Earl Cooper (Co-Founder, Eastside Golf), and Pardeice McGoy (Lead Trainer, Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport). Cooper discussed how his clothing and lifestyle brand helps build golf intrigue for youth and adults who would typically avoid spending their free time on the green and shared anecdotes about the underrepresentation of Black people in the sport. Clarke and McGoy discussed the self-esteem building power of single-gender sport, the gift of camaraderie, and the importance of creating access to sport-adjacent career pathways (like being the CEO of the championship-winning WNBA team!) Bacelar, who is Brazilian, explained the vision for the organization she’s building. She believes we’d all benefit from more time spent in forests and is particularly interested in promoting hiking to girls of color. 

The florals, cocktails, table settings, and attendee gift bags were all in keeping with this year’s theme of ebony and ivory. Featured Black-owned brands include Jeffrey “Chef Jeff” Mourneau, Huzzy, IBest Wines, Spring Street Survivor, HRLM Champagne, Design35NY, Vibe Out Candle Co and Pattern. Cheers to another year of Nike’s work to honor and invest in Black Community Voices.

You can watch a highlight video of this event on TikTok here.