Social justice and race relations organization RISE CEO Diahann Billings-Burford has felt an important shift in American society since the death of George Floyd: A greater part of the population believes racism is “our problem to solve as opposed to a problem that sits with one part of our community.” She said during Part 1 of SBJ: The Road Ahead Virtual Series, “We may be at a point of cultural revolution in this country, and I hope so.” But she wondered, “The real question there is just, what's going to change and what's the path to change? Real revolution means real transformation, and so I'd like to think it's more than a passing fancy, and it is going to lead to some systemic changes.”
ON A MISSION: Billings-Burford said RISE’s mission is to “educate and empower the entire sports community because we acknowledged that this issue has been with our country since its inception, and it's complex, and it's systemic.” She has sensed a greater propensity and willingness of teams and leagues to take a starring role in the social change, saying leaders in sports are “stepping forward and making the bold moves.” She cited NASCAR’s ban of the confederate flag as one significant change: “Talk about revolution, it feels like a simple policy but it's revolutionary. It goes beyond talking about what you feel. It goes into changing whole structures and systems that exacerbate things that are problematic.” On how RISE will measure the success of its work, Billings-Burford said, “Our theory of change is that we're changing thoughts, changing attitudes, and that will lead to a change in behaviors.” But she concluded, “We are still defining how we will measure our outcomes.”
A CHALLENGE OFFERED: Billings-Burford concluded by challenging leaders in sports, politics and industry at large to “have a finger on the pulse of your organization on these issues.” Billings-Burford: “Have you really offered ways for people to further educate themselves? Which structures and policies have you looked at and made sure that they are more holistic and inclusive? How are you supporting minority stakeholders in your organization?”
