Oakland Roots Sports Club announced they will dedicate their pre-season friendly against USL Championship rivals Monterey Bay F.C. on February 25th to raise funds to support the USL United Black Players.
Oakland Roots Sports Club will debut their iconic, Black Panther-inspired ‘Rooted in Power’ jerseys on the field and auction the game-worn items to raise funds for the organization, which exists to tackle inequities that exist in the sport for Black youth, players, coaches, and administrators.
“We thought we should close out Black History Month by supporting an organization that is doing the work every day of the year,” said Roots Director of Player Personnel Nana Attakora. “As a former player who is now taking my next steps in the game, I know how important the work of the United Black Players is to ensuring that we have more representation at every level, not just on the field.”
The jersey worn by the players will be the custom-designed Meyba jersey the club co-created with the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation. The players will play in the ‘Oakland Soul’ jersey in honor of the club’s women’s team, which debuts in the USL W League this year. The game-worn jerseys from the match will be auctioned off along with jerseys donated by other members of the United Black Players.
“We are honored and excited to be working with Oakland Roots Sports Club in this iconic fundraiser during this historical month,” said Hugh Roberts Co-Founder of the United Black Players. “Their continuous mission to make a difference in communities is inspiring and needed. This will help us continue our daily work in changing the inequities in this game and making it more accessible for minority communities.”
The USL United Black Players was founded to address the inequity issues within the sport of soccer by providing access, support and resources to those most in need. USL United Black Players will create pathways that provide opportunities from youth soccer to professional soccer and everywhere in between, and the key initiatives include their mini pitch program, free clinic program, HBCU support program, coaching subsidies program, player-run non profit support and more.
