OUR HISTORY
Since its founding in 2016, Athletes for Impact (A4I) has been a beacon of athlete activism, engaging in groundbreaking campaigns such as voter mobilization, criminal justice reform, and humanitarian aid, all while fostering genuine partnerships and advancing social justice causes globally. Explore our timeline of impactful initiatives below.
2016
01
On September 26, 2016, A4I launched with 100+ athletes teaming up with 20 leading civic organizations to coordinate a civic engagement initiative and supported historic voter registration and mobilization efforts in several states including Arizona, California, Florida, and Pennsylvania.
02
2017
2018
03
04
A4I hosted its inaugural Awards Luncheon, honoring movement leaders and athlete activists like Wyomia Tyus, Dr. John Carlos, Laila Ali, Maya Moore, Ibtihaj Muhammad, and Michael Bennett, alongside The Players’ Tribune and leading nonprofits, preceding the ESPY Awards at the LA84 Foundation in Los Angeles.
05
06
A4I partnered with UNINTERRUPTED and A4I anchor athletes Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird to launch Love Is, a first of its kind campaign to raise awareness and funds to protect queer black and brown youth from homophobic violence and bullying.
2019
2020
07
Global Racial Solidarity
NFL player Taylor Rapp and gymnast Katelyn Ohashi collaborated with 20 California-based nonprofits to launch "A Global Call for Racial Solidarity Under Covid-19 Pandemic," to foster racial unity worldwide amidst increased anti-Asian attacks and xenophobic rhetoric. Supported by 100+ international and national organizations.
08
A4I, IMPACT Strategies, and Community Justice Action Fund created Elect Justice, empowering voters of color. The campaign mobilized over 1.2 million first-time and infrequent Black and Brown voters most impacted by violence to the 2020 polls in Texas and Wisconsin in 9 weeks, driving historic turnout.
09
After 4 years of tireless advocacy, A4I athlete Maya Moore succeeded in freeing Jonathan Irons, an innocent man wrongfully imprisoned for 23+ years for a crime that he didn’t commit. The campaign included a change.org petition demanding Jonathan’s freedom with 300,000+ signatures and implemented a robust campaign that helped bring Jonathan home.
10
Social Justice Training for 150+ Athletes
A4I held a 15-part training series for 150+ professional athletes. The series included influential leaders like Stacey Abrams, Alicia Garza, U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Andrea Hailey, D.A. George Gascon, Janaya “Future” Khan, Vanita Gupta, Angela Rye, Ari Berman, Valarie Kaur, Ashlee Marie Preston, Piper Kerman, and more.
11
Laila Ali, along with 8 grassroots organizations, officially launched the Knock Out Human Trafficking campaign to educate and mobilize the public to end human trafficking by providing information, resources, policy advocacy, and concrete steps that the public could take to end human trafficking.
12
A4I provided rapid response support to several pressing challenges and issues, publishing 6 open letters: 1) Solidarity Letter for the Movement for Black Lives; 2) Change the Name Campaign with IllumiNative; 3) Open Letter in Support of Bubba Wallace; 4) Open Letter to the State of Wisconsin regarding the shooting of Jacob Blake; 5) Save the Post Office campaign led by Megan Rapinoe; 6) Open Letter to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee in Support of Black Lives.
2021
13
14
A4I joined the Center for Reproductive Rights on an Amicus Brief in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health to the U.S. Supreme Court, advocating for athletes' right to safe and effective family planning, including access to abortions, to ensure equitable participation in sports. The brief was endorsed by 26 Olympians, 73 professional athletes, and 275+ intercollegiate athletes.
15
16
Alongside LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, A4I launched a week of action to coincide with the 2022 Super Bowl, including an educational PSA that was shared across Los Angeles County.
2022
17
A4I played a critical role in #WeAreBG, a global campaign that successfully brought WNBA superstar Brittney Griner home after being wrongfully imprisoned in Russia for nearly 10 months. Today, #WeAreBG continues as a global coalition advocating for other Americans detained overseas.
18
2023
19
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21