From left: Chuck D;
Tracy McGrady, former NBA guard and member of the NBA Hall of Fame;
Gary Charles, founder and CEO of ABIS;
Nikki Fargas, president of Las Vegas Aces;
Dave Leitao, president/chairman of ABIS Board of Directors. Image: courtesy of ABIS.
Earlier this month, Advancement of Blacks in Sports (ABIS) held its 2nd Annual Champions & Legends Fundraising Weekend with the theme, “Our Race. Our Playbook.”
Over the course of the festive, three-day event, attendees took part in a community service project, professional development sessions, a gospel brunch, and a fundraising gala.
Hosted by comedian Chris Spencer, several luminaries were honored at the Champions & Legends gala including Ryan Clark, Tracy McGrady, Nikki Fargas and Chuck D.
Gary Charles, founder, and CEO of ABIS, said that he started “the organization three years ago after being deeply moved by the events of 2020 and the constant racial injustices that were impacting our society.” It was he use sports as a platform to advocate for racial equity and social and economic justice.
Speaking with the Atlanta Tribune, Charles spoke about the power of celebrating the success of Black Americans in the sports world.
“We shouldn’t have to wait for permission to celebrate us,” Charles said, “and so one of the things I wanted to do with Advancement of Blacks in Sports is to let people know that Black excellence is for us.”
Since the organization’s inception in 2020, ABIS has helped to increase the number of Black athletes, Black coaches, athletic directors, and administrators in the collegiate and professional ranks. Additionally, ABIS has equipped numerous students from its financial literacy program with skills “to ensure their financial health during college and beyond.”