{"id":86056,"date":"2020-02-18T15:31:41","date_gmt":"2020-02-18T21:31:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=86056"},"modified":"2020-02-24T15:33:38","modified_gmt":"2020-02-24T21:33:38","slug":"all-star-weekend-brings-together-star-professionals-from-finance-law-to-support-diversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/all-star-weekend-brings-together-star-professionals-from-finance-law-to-support-diversity\/","title":{"rendered":"All-Star Weekend brings together star professionals from finance, law to support diversity"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Roderick Diamond II <\/strong>
\nMedill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n

In addition to the big name athletes and\u00a0 celebrities, All-Star Weekend brought Chicago high-profile African American professionals from the business end of sports, finance and other fields to a Friday brunch and panel.<\/p>\n

The event, “A Conversation on the Convergence of Black Athletes, Advisors and Sports Professionals,” brought together Chicago Bear Director of Play Engagement Lamar Campbell, certified player agent Jelani Floyd, sports attorney Luke Fedlam, private wealth manager Myah Moore Irick and CNBC sports business reporter Jabari Young as panel mdoerator. All spoke of the challenges they face in a multi-billion industry along with the challenges black athletes face with their mindset of money<\/p>\n

\"\"
Luke Fedlam (right) speaks before presenting Jaia Thomas (middle) with a trailblazer award. Myah Irick (left)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The event was hosted by Jaia Thomas, founder of Diverse Representation, in collaboration with Porter Wright and Merrill Lynch at Taste 222 in the West Loop area.<\/p>\n

Thomas, who is a sports and entertainment lawyer, said the event had a two-fold purpose. One involved creating the space where black professionals in the sports industry are able to network with each other. Another provided a platform for black agents, financial advisors and attorneys to speak on their experiences working with athletes. The also discussed the challenges of gaining more diversity in the professional space.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring NBA All-Star Weekend, a lot of athletes are here and a lot of their reps are here – attorneys, managers. So it is really the biggest event of the year with regards to basketball,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cIt\u2019s important to have this event during this time because everyone is here at the same place and it\u2019s the only time out of the year where all the agents, managers and athletes are in one space. So it\u2019s the best time to grab everyone in to have these conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Panelists spoke on the importance of increasing black representation for black athletes in the sports world and for black people in general. Sharing the right financial information for these athletes and financial literacy that starts in high school are critical. Panelist Lamar Campbell, who is the Director of Player Development for the Chicago Bears, discussed the significance of having these converging conversations on an academic level.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to meet in the middle,\u201d said Campbell; \u201c When you are in the process of developing a free-thinking black male, you first have to steer him away from what\u2019s \u2018hot\u2019, or \u2018How do I get this bag.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Those distractions known to plague players careers mentally and financially are only part of the problem. The other is bridging the gap of putting more black faces in front offices instead of in uniforms. That is the goal of Thomas\u2019s organization Diverse Representation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love moderating and talking about things to help empower black people and helping us in sports,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n

Young moderated the panel and said he understood how important it was for him to be there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI talk to athletes all the time, and I learned how to talk to them about aligning themselves with more black people of different professions,\u201d Young said. \u201cAlso [there\u2019s] the networking part of it and meeting different faces, so if an athlete says, \u2018I am looking for somebody,\u2019 it helps expand that network.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the end of the event, Thomas was awarded a trailblazer award by Luke Fedlam of the Porter Wright law firm, with offices in Chicago. Thomas said that being an audience member she learned how much the sports landscape is changing and the challenges advisers and athletes face.<\/p>\n

This event helped begin the conversation of black growth, stability and longevity in the sports industry on and off the field.<\/p>\n

Photo at top: NBA Agent Jelani Floyd speaking to the audience during the panel. (Roderick Diamond II\/MEDILL)<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Roderick Diamond II Medill Reports In addition to the big name athletes and\u00a0 celebrities, All-Star Weekend brought Chicago high-profile African American professionals from the business end of sports, finance and other fields to a Friday brunch and panel. 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