Sacramento Kings Host In-Person Summit at Golden 1 Center on Monday, March 13
Award-Winning Initiative Features Week of Action in Community and The Huddle Conversation
Today, the Sacramento Kings announced that the team will host the fifth installment of Team Up for Change, an award-winning initiative to inspire, unite, and activate around a call for social justice and racial equality. The 2023 Team Up for Change summit will take place during Women’s Empowerment Month and highlight the contributions of women leaders working in the social justice movement. This half-day event tips off a Week of Action in Sacramento from March 13 to 17 and the debut of The Huddle, a unique dialogue using basketball to connect with youth.
“The 2023 Team Up for Change Summit is an important opportunity to reflect on the steps we’ve taken over these past five years to address racial inequality and promote social justice through education, advocacy and policy change,” said Sacramento Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé. “This year, we are particularly proud to use our platform to amplify the contributions of women at the forefront of the social justice movement. The work continues, and the Kings remain as committed as ever to partnering with local leaders, advocates, and policymakers to promote positive community change.”
Team Up for Change Summit (March 13)
The Team Up for Change summit will bring together movement builders and changemakers across industries to discuss the intersection of sports, race, and the pursuit of more equitable communities. Programming is designed to provide insight into the social justice movement, strategies to combat systemic racism and practices to promote sustainable change by advancing equity and inclusion. The audience will be composed of approximately 200 high school and college students, community leaders and nonprofit partners.
The day will feature the following dynamic speakers: (in alphabetical order)
- Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner (via video)
- Adiyah Obolu, Inderkum High School Student and Spoken Word Artist
- Angie Franklin, Afro Yoga Founder, CEO and Visionary
- Assemblymember Akilah Weber (CA-79)
- Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs, NYT Bestselling Author, Sociologist, and Researcher
- Archana Sahgal, Hyphen Founder and President
- Carmen Perez, The Gathering for Justice President and CEO
- Gianna Hearn, Sports Anchor
- James Cadogen, National Basketball Social Justice Coalition Executive Director
- John Horst, Milwaukee Bucks General Manager
- Marc Spears, Andscape and ESPN Senior NBA Writer
- Marianna Sousa, Emotional Hygienist, Edutainment Specialist and Author
- Matina Kolokotronis, Sacramento Kings Chief Operating Officer
- MC Lyte, American Rapper, DJ, Actress and Entrepreneur
- California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber
- Dr. Vajra Watson, Sacramento State Associate Professor
- Vivek Ranadivé, Sacramento Kings Owner and Chairman
View an agenda of the program HERE.
Team Up for Change Week of Action and The Huddle (March 13-17)
During the Week of Action, the Sacramento Kings will host events in the community focused on mentorship, career exploration, leadership training, and economic opportunity for future generations. These events and activations include connecting Kings female team members with young women at the Youth Detention Facility for mentorship, unveiling a community ROOT garden in partnership with Raley’s at Mather Veteran Village and volunteering at local women-focused and run nonprofit organizations. At the end of the week, the Kings will introduce the second young person to take part in The Huddle, a unique conversation using the game of basketball to connect the team with a young person engaged in transformative work in their neighborhood.
Team Up for Change Background
Team Up for Change is a social justice initiative formed in partnership between the Sacramento Kings and the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018 in response to community tragedies impacting both teams – the police-involved shooting death of an unarmed black man in Sacramento, Stephon Clark, and the wrongful police stop of Bucks player Sterling Brown, violating his constitutional rights. Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé took to the court and made a commitment that the Kings would work alongside the community to help prevent future tragedies. The first Team Up for Change summit was held in Sacramento in 2019 (video recap).
In February 2020, the two teams once again partnered and hosted the second Team Up for Change in Milwaukee. The NBA recognized the Kings and Bucks for the initiative by honoring the teams with the 2020 NBA Inclusion Innovation Award, which spotlights a program across the league that advances inclusive practices.
In October 2020, the Kings, in partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, Indiana Pacers and Fever, Dallas Mavericks and Wings, and Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the third Team Up for Change virtually (full summit).
In January 2022, the Kings, in partnership with twelve NBA and WNBA teams hosted the fourth Team Up for Change which expanded and evolved to include The Huddle, and Week of Action featuring community activations across the country in each team’s market.