Black in Sport Summit to Tackle Racism in the Sector
February 17, 2023
In its second year, the 2023 Black in Sport Summit (BISS) intends to change the narrative in sport and tackle the discrimination and underrepresentation of Black people in the sports sector. Sponsored by Sky, the summit will be held next month at the London Stadium in Stratford, UK - host venue of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
Launched in 2022 by a group of Loughborough University students in partnership with the Univesity and Loughborough Sport, BISS was an outcome of frustrations around the underrepresentation of Black sportspeople in the sector and incidents of discrimination. It was formed to celebrate the achievements of Black people across the sports industry, amplify the conversation of representation and diversity and inspire action and a new generation of sports industry professionals. Co-founders Ladi Ogunmekan, Samuel Ola and Emmanuel Shittu explain that this year, BISS will focus on best practices and solutions to the issues raised at the event.
The 2023 theme, “Excellence, Leverage, and Influence”, represents a desire to build a community of current and aspiring professionals in the sector and promotes the idea that a career in sport is available to everyone.
“We’re thrilled that the student-led BISS is continuing to grow in scale and impact. The team behind the initiative have demonstrated incredible dedication and desire to raise awareness of the issues facing Black people in the sport industry,” said Professor Nick Jennings, Vice-Chancellor and President of Loughborough University.
Research by Sporting Equals, the UK’s leading charity for racial equality and diversity in sport, found that 83% of people from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds have experienced discrimination in some form in the sector – 37% saying they had experienced it on the pitch from an opposition player or teammate.
The survey responses from players, coaches and administrators from ethnic communities from the grassroots sports level upwards also showcased the inequality on a hiring and professional level. 41% felt they had fewer opportunities than someone from a white background to progress in their sport and 21% said they had faced barriers on their way to senior positions.
“The issue we are currently dealing with is a society that is systemically racist with sectors that are consciously and/or unconsciously systemically oppressive,” said Arun Kang, the Chief Executive of Sporting Equals. “Systemic oppression occurs when the laws of a body or sector create unequal treatment of a specific social identity group or groups. Is this an issue in the sports sector? Yes.”
Dedicated to bridging the gap between opportunity and success for Black athletes and industry professionals, the summit will take place on 25 March and will feature panels on issues facing Black people in sport and networking opportunities. Speakers include Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Team GB sprinter), Lutalo Muhammad (Team GB Taekwondo athlete), Christian Scotland-Williamson (former professional NFL and rugby union player and talkSPORT broadcaster) and more.
Sky is sponsoring the event as part of its £30 million commitment to tackling systemic racism. Sky Sports will also offer work placements to attendees participating in the BISS Employer Challenge initiative.