Athletes for Justice

Athletes for Justice is a nonprofit organization founded by professional athletes seeking to amplify the strength and resilience of under-resourced communities across the country. The story began in 2017, when members of the Chicago Bears recognized the impact of kneeling demonstrations and felt motivated to take action against the social and racial inequities nationwide. The team staged a peaceful protest by locking arms during the national anthem and also raised $250,000 as a team, matched by the Bears’ front office, to go toward social justice causes.

In 2018, five team members (Sam Acho, Trey Burton, Chase Daniel, Akiem Hicks, and Mitch Trubisky) felt inspired to seek lasting change and banded together to create Athletes for Justice. They prioritized listening to members of communities and learning how they could help optimize assets that already exist within their neighborhoods.

Today, what began as five athletes from the Chicago Bears has since welcomed athletes from the NFL, NBA, WNBA, NHL, and MLB who are all committed to fighting structural inequalities in Chicago and beyond.