Written By: Kibriyaa Morgan

WHETHER WE’RE EQUIPPED TO FACE this reality or not, we are at the brink of September. Only nine games remain in the regular season. It’s evident that this year has been far from normal. Kids learn on laptops and tablets. Weddings, graduations, and celebrations have been cancelled. No one watches sports from inside an arena. Since late July, players in the WNBA have competed ferociously at IMG Academy—known colloquially as ‘The Wubble’. So, for the New York Liberty this means that their fourth annual UNITY game will not take place at the epicenter of protests in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. And although they won’t physically be in Brooklyn to share their platform, their values remain aligned with the movement. Their message is clear: no voice will be silenced.

May of 2020 will always be remembered as the pivotal moment in the modern-day fight for racial equality. Protests and demonstrations have grown to be ubiquitous and a national shift in the conversation of police brutality has yet to die down. More importantly, we’re seeing those in the public eye use their platforms to raise awareness and enact change. Sports have long been considered untouchable when it comes to addressing social justice issues. We’ve come to expect divisive language such as shut up and dribble. Yet in this moment, the sports world refuses to take no for an answer. We saw Bubba Wallace spearhead the movement to ban Confederate flags from NASCAR events. LeBron James co-founded More than a Vote with 40+ athletes and public figures to fight against voter suppression. Colin Kaepernick single-handedly normalized kneeling during the national anthem. And this season marks Maya Moore’s second sitting out in an effort to challenge the beast that is the prison industrial complex.

But make no mistake. The New York Liberty have been fighting this fight since before it was a trending Twitter topic. This Thursday’s game against the Dallas Wings marks the team’s fourth annual UNITY game, in which they will extend their already established advocacy work through social media content, in-game programming, and a virtual panel discussion. Liberty guard Layshia Clarendon will participate in the panel discussion, along with a group of all-star activists: Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Sharon Cooper, and Nakisha Lewis. You can register for the panel here to learn why we need to “STAY LOUD” in this moment now—and in the future.

Following the succeeding deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling in July of 2016, the Liberty took a stand. Enough was enough and the team “aimed to promote a message of unity and cohesion, hoping to inspire a movement to effect peaceful systemic change.” During a July matchup versus the then San Antonio Stars (now Las Vegas Aces) a movement was born: players were seen warming up in t-shirts stamped with #BlackLivesMatter. It was historic, to say the least. And it was done in a way that only the Liberty would have it done—on their own time, in their authentic voice, and when their platform could make the biggest impact.

It can’t be overlooked that the UNITY platform is an extension of the work this historic organization has a long, demonstrated history of doing. Liberty CEO Keia Clarke, a member of the WNBA’s Social Justice Council, saw the importance and impact of Kimberlé Crenshaw’s foundation, the African American Policy Forum (AAPF), which is committed to delivering “research-based strategies to better advance social inclusion.” Clarke put action behind her words and pledged to donate $25,000 on behalf of the Liberty to support AAPF and the #SayHerName campaign. On the now widely recognized Juneteenth holiday, Layshia Clarendon participated in a virtual event hosted by Breakfast Club host Angela Yee to mobilize the ‘disengaged’ to vote. They’ve even gone beyond the standard—not simply wearing WNBA designed t-shirts, but also designing their own with the phrase Black Trans Lives Matter.

However, a larger task is at stake. Because no hurdle is too high for the Liberty. Just as they set precedent in 2016 with their #BlackLivesMatter warmup shirts, they aim to do the same four years later on UNITY day when they urge us to #SayHerName, calling attention to the black and brown women whom we’ve lost to police killings. Michelle Cusseaux, Sandra Bland. Breonna Taylor. Countless others. Too often are black women forgotten in the conversation of police brutality. And the Liberty refuse to let us forget. Keia Clarke echoed this sentiment at the start of the season when she said, “this season is bigger than basketball, and there is no better time for New York Liberty basketball to return and inspire hope and change.”

For four consecutive seasons, the New York Liberty have played for, advocated for, and showed up for UNITY. In the midst of social and political upheaval, it’s time we begin to respect our roots. Our New York roots, that is.