Sacramento Republic, Boards for Change team up to benefit local Black youth organizations

You probably noticed in the stands of Monday’s Sacramento Republic FC game at Papa Murphy’s Park that with no fans in attendance, there were signs posted intermittently.

If you weren’t looking hard, you may have thought they were tifo or signs related to the game, but one sign — a take on Pink Floyd’s iconic cover for their album “The Wall” but with the name “George Floyd” painted on it instead — caught my eye. These weren’t your run-of-the-mill signs.

It turns out, that sign and the others in the stands Monday were part of a project called Boards for Change. The Sacramento-based collective behind the project aims to bring together works of art supporting the uplift of Black lives and aiming to auction those pieces off to raise money for Black youth organizations in the Sacramento area.

The club and Boards for Change have assembled more than 40 pieces to be displayed on gamedays and elsewhere, with all of the pieces ultimately to go up for auction in the coming weeks.

“We are so humbled by Sacramento Republic FC’s support and eagerness to amplify the voices of local artists,” said Boards for Chance co-creator Lina Washington in a statement on the initiative. “Kimberly Prince, Shannan O’Rourke, and I had this little idea in early June and it turned into a huge community collaboration receiving national attention in a matter of weeks. None of this would be possible without the dozens of artists of all ages, races and levels of experience donating their time and talent to create for a cause. We’ve already raised more than $13,000 to be invested back into local Black youth organizations and we’re looking forward to hitting our $20,000 goal thanks to SRFC giving Boards For Change this platform.”

The three pieces currently up for auction are a depiction of the famous Black Power salute by two U.S. Olympic medalists, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, at the 1968 Olympics, a portrait of Breonna Taylor, the woman killed in her own home by Louisville, Kentucky police in March, and a piece commissioned by Sac Republic, called “Unity.” This auction is set to run through Aug. 15, but don’t hesitate if you want to get in on contributing and owning a one-of-a-kind piece of art.

“It is an honor to lift up a project like Boards for Change – an incredible showcase of how interconnected, compassionate, and creative Sacramento is,” said Republic FC president and COO Ben Gumpert in a team statement. “Art has been and will always be a core expression of our club and we couldn’t think of a better way to fill our stands than these inspiring works which will help to positively impact our community.”

This seems like a fantastic project all around, and if you’re able to spare some money or even to promote the organization, you can find them at @BoardsForChange on Twitter and @boardsforchange on Instagram.

What do you think? Leave a comment below.