The Muhammad Ali Center Athletes and Social Change Forum took place virtually in July 2020. The Forum was designed to advance education, advocacy, and research on the roles and contributions of athletes in promoting social change, human rights, and development.

This year we welcomed scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and advocates who are all working to advance the realm of athletes and social change through Muhammad Ali’s Six Core Principles:  Respect, Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Spirituality, and Giving.

This Forum also explored the following topics and considerations:

1.  The roles and responsibilities athletes have beyond the playing field.
2.  The ways athletes can serve as educators and advocates to address social problems within and outside of sports.
3.  How the global sporting community encourages or discourages athletes who work in the realm of social change.
4.  The roles educational institutions play in providing grounding for athletes to make the connections between athletics, academics and the community.
5.  The role and impact of both mainstream and social media on how athletes can affect social change.
6.  The intersection and convergence of athletes, sports, and politics.