OL Reign Legends: Founders of the Black Future Co-op Fund

The Legends Campaign, a partnership between OL Reign and Starbucks, honors women for their extraordinary contributions to our community in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. OL Reign recognized the founders of the Black Future Co-op Fund at the club’s May 15 match against the North Carolina Courage,

The Black Future Co-op Fund was launched in June 2020 to address the systemic racism and wealth inequality that has disproportionately affected the Black community for generations. The Fund serves as a hub for efforts to combat poverty, build generational wealth, preserve Black culture, and celebrate the resilience of Washington’s Black community. Motivated to create the Black Future Co-op Fund by a shared vision for radical change in Washington, Andrea Caupain Sanderson – CEO of Byrd Barr Place and Co-founder of the BIPOC Executive Directors Coalition, Angela Jones, J.D. – CEO of Washington STEM, Michelle Merriweather – President of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, and T’wina Nobles – Senator for the 28th Legislative District of Washington and President and CEO of the Tacoma Urban League, came together to establish a new paradigm for philanthropy.

Their mission is clear – bringing Black-led solutions to build generational health, wealth, and well-being in Washington communities to the forefront of conversation and action. “For us, by us, is what comes always come to mind for me,” said founder Angela Jones. “We are really looking to build an infrastructure of support for the Black community in the state of Washington and empowering our people to figure out what the solutions are that we need the most and building some allyship and support around that and providing some of that technical assistance and funding to make it happen.”

The Black Future Co-op Fund connects Black communities for collective power, promoting a truthful Black narrative, investing in Black-led solution for generational prosperity, and shifting the paradigm of philanthropy. Led by Black Washingtonians for Black Washingtonians, the Black Future Co-op Fund is ready to lead the change needed to combat the challenges facing our state.

The Black Future Co-op Fund is doing this in several ways. Their goal is to raise the funds needed to invest in necessary changes and movements for the Black communities in Washington and every dollar counts. Jones was quick to dispel the myth that you have to make five or six figure donations for your contribution to matter. “I want to encourage people to not discount themselves as being valuable. Giving what you can, even $5, makes a difference.”

Beyond fundraising efforts, the Black Future Co-op Fund is using data collection to assess the needs of the Black community, as those needs are not one-size-fits-all. Starting a conversation and centering the Black experience is extremely important to the Black Future Co-op Fund. They are hosting focus groups to hear directly from Black communities across the state about the issues they are facing and how to best meet their needs. Additionally, any ideas and thoughts can be shared on the Black Future Co-op Fund website.

A simple act of allyship can go a long way, including following the Black Future Co-op Fund on social media and sharing their content and messages. Establishing a connection between communities across the state allows people to heal together, share ideas, and build a common agenda for change.

For T’wina and Angela, both of their journeys to get to where they are now were impacted by role models in their lives that inspired them to step outside of their comfort zones into spaces where women are traditionally underrepresented. Nobles wants young girls to just “go for it—the best way to increase representation is for more of us to pursue those opportunities.”

Her advice to anyone pursuing a dream in a field that they don’t see themselves heavily represented in is to take up space. “Know that you are good enough and what you bring to the table is good enough,” Nobles encouraged. “One person can ignite a flame and encourage others to get involved.”

Inspired by the stories of the founders of the Black Future Co-op Fund and OL Reign players, Nobles wants young women to know that they have everything they need to pursue any dream that they want to. Jones echoed the same thoughts. “Wherever young women choose to be, they belong there. Imposter Syndrome is not something for us to hold; It’s something that systems of oppression have put into place.”

Both Jones and Nobles have been involved in the world of sports throughout their lives, as athletes or coaches and agree that having a professional women’s soccer team in Washington is incredibly important for the community. “There is a different type of human being that is the female athlete—confident, competitive, team-players, willing to show emotion and compassion. When we see women on the field playing hard for their community, they also take that same skill set into any of their other friendships, workplaces, and more,” said Nobles.

She continued to explain that “seeing women playing on field and watching all of those characteristics play out on the field is so important for girls and women watching, especially if they are trying to figure out how to tap into their own confidence and be a part of something that is way larger than them. As hard as OL Reign works on the field and works to be a successful team, it really is beyond what happens on the field. It inspires and encourages the community, and you can hear that in the crowd.”

Jones brought up the disparity between the resources traditionally provided to men’s sports and women’s sports, admiring the dedication of the OL Reign athletes. “I was looking at the OL Reign roster and thinking to make it to this level, you have to have persevered through so much.”

Putting her advice to young women into sports terms, Jones explained that OL Reign and the community surrounding the team reminds young girls to “run the offense. You need defense of course, but you also need to run the offense and not always be on somebody else’s plan.”

Touching on OL Reign’s partnership with the Black Future Co-op Fund, Jones expressed her gratitude for the team. “I’m very proud of them. The fact that they thought outside themselves and said we’re going to support, not just the Black Future Co-op Fund, not just Andrea, Angela, Michelle, and T’wina, but they are supporting the future of Black Washingtonians. The OL Reign are reigning.”

A local Tacoma resident and elected official, Nobles has had the opportunity to make it out to OL Reign games in the past. Intrigued by seeing the names of OL Reign Season Ticket Members on the 2021 jerseys, she was browsing the Reign website and stumbled upon the list of previous OL Reign Legends. “I thought, wow. That is so cool, to see people like Mayor Victoria Woodards and Chief Best. Then a couple weeks later, we got the email about the team wanting to honor us. Just being represented among that group of women leaders, it makes me really excited… that in the middle of a pandemic, when we have absolutely been hurting with and helping our community to get through this pandemic, that we were able to do something so positive that will impact our state for years to come. It is just such an honor to be recognized, especially amongst all of the other women that have been recognized before us.”

A regular at sporting events in Cheney Stadium, Nobles reiterated how special this was for her. “For me, to be recognized here in Pierce County, by the home team, it just means so much to be reintroduced after this pandemic to Cheney and to our local sports in such a big way, as partners of OL Reign and now as OL Reign Legends in our community. I feel incredibly grateful. It feels very surreal. I just have so much gratitude.”

Jones noted that the founders of the Black Future Co-op Fund did not set out for recognition; they set out to do good and make a lasting impact in the lives of Black Washingtonians. For the group, being recognized as OL Reign Legends is “motivating and refueling.” She continued, “to speak to the company that we get to be in as OL Reign Legends is huge, and we are appreciative and know that it continues to motivate us and inspire us because you never who is watching and paying attention.”

The Starbucks Foundation has a long history of supporting local communities, especially to advance equity and opportunity. The Starbucks Foundation was one of the first supporters of the Black Future Co-op Fund and is proud to help its mission – to respond to the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on the Black community, strengthen Black culture, increase resilience to economic and other shocks, and build generational wealth.

OL Reign and Starbucks are proud to honor these inspiring women and support the Black Future Co-op Fund. To learn more about the Black Future Co-op Fund, visit their website and social media pages @blackfuturewa.