RACE & SPORTS
Overview
Sports have the opportunity to lead by example. Players are heroes whose opinions are seen and valued by their fans, especially young ones. League and team policies matter to the society at large as sports are highly visible, involve large populations and have important symbolism. Fan behavior can also have impact on the larger populace.
For these reasons, it is important for the Rose Bowl Institute 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.
“May the best team win.” Because teams have a common purpose to win, they need to strive for the best players regardless of race, ethnicity, background or sexual preference. It means inclusion of all as players, coaches, fans or owners. It means respecting the game, teammates and opponents. It means playing fairly and treating players equitably.
One of the iconic symbols of leading by example was Jackie Robinson – a former Pasadena resident, a Rose Bowl Stadium record holder, an icon in the game of baseball and a civic leader. A statue of Jackie Robinson greets visitors at the front of America’s Stadium in Pasadena as a symbol of inclusion, courage, integrity and fair play.
The Rose Bowl Institute is presenting a series of dialogues to address issues of race and sports, as the legacy of Jackie Robinson continues to inspire Americans to learn, grow and educate one another on the importance of these issues.
Rose Table Dialogue on Race and Sports
Winter 2022
Twenty to twenty-four leaders and experts will gather around the Rose Table at America’s Stadium to address issues of racial equity and arrive at solutions applicable to professional, college and amateur sports. Participants will include owners, coaches, players, critics, media, and other representative stakeholders in sports, all people who can bring about change in their fields.
Native Americans in Sports
May 31, 2022 @ 10AM PST
The Rose Bowl Institute will host a one hour panel discussion as part of the The Rose Bowl Institute's series of Dialogues on Race and Sports, addressing Native Americans in Sport.
The panel will be moderated by C. Richard King, Professor and Chair of Humanities, History and Social Sciences at Columbia. The panel will discuss the racial politics of culture and will feature Native American athletes, Angel Goodrich, a former WNBA athlete who played for the Seattle Storm and Tulsa Shock, Jeremy Thompson, professional lacrosse player for the Panther City Lacrosse Club of the National Lacrosse League, and the Atlas of Premier Lacrosse League, and Jordan Nolan, former professional NHL athlete who competed for the Los Angeles Kings, Buffalo Sabres, and St. Louis Blues.
This first panel in the series is a one hour moderated discussion among Jackie Robinson’s daughter, Sharon Robinson, who is also an author and educator, and described her father’s contribution to civil rights during his lifetime; civil rights historian Taylor Branch; MLS Hall of Famer Cobi Jones; and NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott.
April 15, 2021 @ 1PM PST
Latinos in Football
September 22, 2021 @ 6PM
The Rose Bowl Institute hosted and in person one hour panel discussion as part of the The Rose Bowl Institute's series of Dialogues on Race and Sports, addressing Latinos in Football, and a tribute to the life and impact of Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys kicker Danny Villanueva, Sr. as an athlete, business leader and civic leader in the local community.
This panel in the Race and Sports series was a one hour moderated discussion among Danny Villanueva Sr's son, Danny Villanueva Jr.; Former News Anchor, Univision and Author, Maria Elena Salinas; Mayor of Pasadena, Mayor Victor Gordo; and former NFL Football player, Luis Zendejas.
When a rainbow spreads across the sky it is reminding the world that beauty comes in all colors.