U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee chief executive officer Sarah Hirshland announced Monday that the organization is creating an athlete-led group to "empower Black voices to be heard," both within the USOPC and beyond.
In a letter to athletes, Hirshland said the new group will serve as a check on "rules and systems in our own organization that create barriers to progress" — including, most notably, the right of athletes to protest during competition. Such demonstrations are currently prohibited by Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter.
"We will also advocate for change globally," Hirshland wrote in the letter.