EDIFYE: Creating Change From the Bottom Up

By: Zachary Draves

A new organization that is connecting pro athletes with grassroots organizers on social justice issues is proving once again that athletes are no longer going to “stick to sports” and damn sure won’t “shut up and dribble”.

EDIFYE is based out of Chicago and emerged after players across various leagues engage in a full stoppage of sport in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August 2020.

Welcome to Team Edifye

Help us organize pro athletes: https://t.co/Atef4I6pQa#JUSTICEFORJACOBBLAKE#ORGANIZEATHLETES pic.twitter.com/IKnrq88QxO

— Team Edifye #JusticeForJacobBlake (@TeamEdifye) May 6, 2021

(Courtesy: Twitter)

Here is an interview with Pauly Jackson, founder and executive director of EDIFYE:

1. What inspired the creation of this organization?

Back in 2020, following the George Floyd murder, I took my two-year-old son Kayson to a protest hosted by Evanston Fight for Black Lives. My mom constructed him a sign reading “MY LIFE MATTERS” on one side and “I MATTER” on the other. The impact was so blunt and so direct… I realized right there that my two-year-old son was literally pleading and protesting to the rest of the world that his existence was worth a damn. This was a revelation to me. I realized it was my calling, to protect and project his voice however necessary. I quit my day job that week and got to work. A few months passed, and I got a call that my brother was shot by police in Kenosha, WI. That feeling, the reality, and the details of my life after that moment…well, it’s not something I can articulate, still to this day.

Life has never been the same. A massive work stoppage happened in the world of sports, in the name of justice for my brother. As tough as it was to juggle all of the responsibilities I was handling for our family, I knew something even bigger had to be done. We saw the power in the voices that spoke up and made themselves clear. We were in so much pain, and those voices empowered us. We created Edifye to connecting that energy, platform, and power to the people and issues that need reinforcements. We can do this in cities all across America, and it shouldn’t take a tragedy to energize our people for a common good.

2. Can you describe the approach and goals?

Edifye believes in an organic process. As the world evolves and changes, we must adapt accordingly. Our understanding of “progression” and “liberation” will change as our surroundings change. So we are aligning with folks naturally and letting our work happen without forcing it. That’s important to us. We are looking to drive resources to the very people that need them. So, we want to bring attention to the municipal issues and local leaders that most affect folks in daily life. But we ALSO want to reach these professional athletes, men, and women representing their entire communities, and let them know just how powerful they are too. We want these people empowered and informed, feeling like political organizers in their own right. So the approach is twofold: shine a light and lend resources to the local “All-Stars” that protect the people on a daily basis, and nurture an athlete’s internal confidence as a political voice and tool for change.

3. What are some of the things you are working on?

We won’t go into names and details right just yet, but one thing we’re working on is connecting with the WNBA’s most outspoken players. The NBA work stoppage got such tremendous attention last summer, and rightly so. But it feels like the WNBA damn near took it to a different level, and even more electric place. The talented ladies of the Atlanta Dream organized against their own ownership, endorsing and promoting Rev. Raphael Warnock’s campaign against Kelly Loeffler. In that sense, they not only sent a clear and organized message to the capital forces that profit off them…they also helped deliver a real win. Now, instead of the usual conservatives in power there, you have a spiritual progressive and a new member of the Congressional Black Caucus. That’s real power.

Maya Moore, for example, put her career on hold to advocate for change in the American justice system. Think about how long it takes, and how much work is needed, just to get to the pro level of your sport. Then think about how much work goes into being an MVP and a champion, like she is. And THEN think about giving all of that up, to use her position to apply pressure and demand change. That’s what solidarity looks like in the truest sense. The women of the WNBA have been among the most active and boldest voices in sports activism, and it’s time to use that power to better the cities they represent.

4. How do you envision EDIFYE in the years to come?

Edifye will be a resource bank for the intersection between pro sports and community organizing. It seems like so very often, platformed athletes are looking to do meaningful stuff and put up for the underserved. They usually know what struggling in America feels like from a first-hand perspective. But the main voices around these players are not invested in seeing them organize. They’re gonna suggest simpler stuff, like signing blank checks for team-affiliated foundations and doing hospital appearances for charity. They’re not gonna push these men and women to long-term and structural change. These players are dehumanized all the time, from contracts and transactions to the restrictions on their public speech. They’re not encouraged to speak up. We want to help release them from that bondage and fight for their voice to be amplified.

We will also maintain a nationwide coalition of organizers, organizations, union leaders, and local officials. That’s the only way that we can really get the most out of these efforts. No one knows the specific struggle for liberation like the folks already on the ground every day. Their work involves a lot of sacrifice for the common good. So we need to keep their work going, and give them bigger resources to accomplish bolder things. These connections need to be utilized correctly and efficiently. Closing the gap between these parties is a major goal for Edifye. The end game is truly just for people to be heard, for justice to be seized and for love to outlast all.

https://www.edifye.org/