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Social Justice Commitment Statement

Brooklyn Nets, NY Liberty, and Barclays Center

 Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai

We stand in solidarity with the Black community, and all Indigenous people and People of Color, to end racism in our organization and in our society.

The Plaza at Barclays Center in Brooklyn has become a gathering space for Black Lives Matter.  We are proud of our players’ leadership in speaking out against racism and advocating for social justice.

Racial injustice continues to be pervasive in society, and systemic imbalances must be addressed by the government, the private sector, and individuals.  We plan to address the inequities by focusing first on our organization and our community in Brooklyn.  We believe Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets, and New York Liberty can become symbols of how we move forward together as a country.  We will provide the resources to accelerate change.  We hope to lead by example by supporting our athletes, employees, and community in anti-racist work.

Our mission is to use our platform to bring people together around a shared commitment to inclusiveness, justice, and equal opportunity.  Our goal is to promote a society where people of all backgrounds can acknowledge differences and share common values without fear.  We will promote a culture of belonging, and our community will be a place for dialogue, respect, and empathy.


Our Principles and Core Beliefs

  1. Equality of opportunity, dignity, and respect are fundamental rights for all people, and we will preserve these rights as our first principle. We believe that Black Lives Matter and in all our actions we will protect these fundamental rights for Black Americans and people of color.
  2. Diversity is a strength. Diverse perspectives allow us to make more informed and intelligent management decisions and make us a better and stronger company.
  3. Building community is the central collective value of Barclays Center, Brooklyn Nets, and NY Liberty. We bring world-class live music and sports to Brooklyn and the world.  By doing so we gather diverse communities together to enjoy and appreciate excellence.  We plan to build this community around social justice and belonging.
  4. Together with our players, we have the ability to influence, and we are stronger together. What we do matters.  Players are in a position to influence and empower people, especially youth, around many issues, including education and social justice.  As leaders of our organizations, we have a responsibility to build a culture of equity and inclusion, and to influence other leaders in business and cultural institutions – including the League and other teams’ leadership – to stand against racism.

Our 5-Point Plan

  1. Social Justice Fund

In addition to our recent $10 million pledge to the NBA Foundation, we will commit an additional $50 million over 10 years for social justice initiatives and community investments that will benefit the BIPOC (especially Black) community, with a priority on Brooklyn.  We are committed to listening and learning from community members, our players, and our employees as we design and implement this plan.  We will fund pilots and programs that are scalable and which address systemic imbalances and root causes that produce racial gaps in education, health and wealth.  Mentorship of young men and women of color will continue to be an emphasis.  Access to capital for BIPOC and women-owned small businesses, and skills training to improve job mobility and wage trajectories will be initial areas of focus.  We will also address immediate needs created by COVID-19, which has disproportionately impacted communities in Brooklyn.

 

  1. Player Voice

Black women and men comprise a majority of our team rosters.  While many live their lives in the spotlight, they also face racism on a daily basis. We are committed to supporting our athletes and amplifying their voices for activism around anti-racism, anti-discrimination, and equal opportunity.  We will provide team and venue assets — for example, social media accounts and billboards — to speak out on these issues that represent the collective voice of our players.  We will also bring in experts from the academic, legal, media, and business communities to support the players’ continuing education and personal and professional growth.

 

  1. Inclusive Culture

We will strengthen and redouble our commitment to a racially equitable and inclusive corporate culture and environment at BSE Global.  The commitment starts at the top. Specifically, we will commit to the following actions:

  • We and the Chief Executive Officer of BSE Global will be responsible for ensuring a diverse workforce and an inclusive environment. We will ensure mechanisms are in place to recruit, develop, retain and promote Black employees and employees of color, especially individuals in leadership positions.
  • We do not tolerate racist behavior in the workplace. We will develop an even more comprehensive anti-racism policy that clearly defines behaviors that will not be tolerated at BSE Global.  This policy will continue to be part of our Employee Conduct Handbook and violations of our anti-racism policy will be grounds for termination of employment.
  • Ensure our workforce, in both business and basketball operations, are provided with anti-discrimination, empathy, and diversity training.
  • Strive for diversity in selecting vendors and suppliers, and work with our sponsors to support Black and minority-owned businesses.
  • Establish executive leadership programs for BIPOC employees in managerial positions.
  • Strengthen and develop new internship and entry-level employment programs for BIPOC applicants to work at BSE Global in both business and basketball operations.
  • Continue conversations with all of our employees about social justice and racial equality through town halls and guest lectures.

 

  1. League-wide Influence

As Governors of one of 30 NBA and 12 WNBA teams, we are stewards of important community institutions.  Through our access to the Governors of other teams in both leagues, we will work with the NBA/WNBA League Offices and the leadership of NBA/WNBA teams to create opportunities for dialogue in order to coalesce around shared values.  We will initiate regular conversations among team Governors and leadership to share ideas and discuss progress on implementing diversity and anti-racism programs in their respective organizations.

 

  1. Community Engagement

We aspire to leverage the unique space of Barclays Center and the Nets and Liberty to support the Brooklyn community’s shared desire for justice. We will be visible in our efforts to create ongoing and consistent community dialogue around social justice and to convene experts from various disciplines to engage in meaningful conversation. In partnership with law enforcement, we will encourage the Plaza at Barclays Center (corner of Flatbush and Atlantic) to continue to serve as a place for peaceful gatherings and for all constituents to listen to each other.