Tamika Mallory is a nationally recognized civil rights activist and co-founder of Until Freedom, a social justice organization established to address systemic and racial injustice. Mallory is calling on the NBA, NFL, FIFA, and more to boycott the sports collectibles organization Panini, due to the lack of Blacks in leadership positions. Mallory had this to say about the call to action.
What should people know about Panini?
We got a call saying they found an issue with Panini. They asked us to look into it, and they did not believe at the time that they contacted us [that] there were African Americans in executive leadership positions within the company. However, there are exclusive relationships between Panini and some of the major league’s athletes so that they can use the talent and the imagery of athletes, and 75 percent of those athletes happen to be African American, or people of color as a part of their business model.
After doing a lot of research, we found that they did not have African Americans sitting in positions of power and I think one of the major concerning pieces – and I’ve been asking – and Panini has responded to us at this point, is what is happening with the matriculation of those people who currently work within the company. They have touted that ten percent of their workforce is African American. If that is the case, none of the previous employees and or the current employees are people who are viable for positions in the executive suite or at the executive level.
What should the leagues and athletes do about this matter?
Obviously, Panini does not have a large group of individuals who are African American who will purchase the cards, but they do have athletes with whom they are using their images. We received a response back from the MLB saying that they support our calls for diversity within the industry and that they themselves work toward it every day. The other leagues we have not necessarily heard back from but we know that they have received the letter informing them because they have a responsibility to protect their employees, to protect their teams, and the players on these teams. They should not allow the athletes to be exploited. We’re talking about providing opportunities for the players, family members, friends, and including former players. As former players, they should have the opportunity to go to a place like Panini and get a job and become an executive leader. Why would you not be qualified as a former athlete or retired athlete or someone who has worked within the field in many different areas to apply for work, grow within a position, and become a senior leader within this company?
