More than 70 Black MLS players formed the Black Players Coalition of MLS on Friday.
The new organization said it will, "address the racial inequalities in our league, stand with all those fighting racism in the world of soccer, and positively impact black communities across the United States and Canada," per ESPN's Jeff Carlisle.
The coalition will be led by Toronto FC defender and BPC executive director Justin Morrow. It will lobby for diversity initiatives across MLS, including "implicit bias training, cultural education courses, and diversification hiring practices," per a BPC statement.
The announcement of the Black Players Coalition coincides with Juneteenth, which commemorates the day in which news of the Emancipation Proclamation was delivered to enslaved people in Galveston, Texas.