Athletes for Hope was invited to participate in the NBA All-Star Week “Leadership Together: Community Conversation” this past weekend before the NBA All-Star Game.

In attendance at the Community Conversation were not only NBA players, but 25 young people from the local New Orleans area, police officers, members of the players association and key members of the New Orleans community.Conversations about race, policing and equality took place behind closed doors which allowed for the flow of ideas and powerful, honest conversations from participants.

Undoubtedly, the issues of community policing and race run deep in the New Orleans community, as it does in the entire United States. We were honored to take part in this discussion and understand that issues surrounding racial injustice may be of interest to some of our athletes. We hope to continue to be a part of conversations like these headed forward and look forward to working with athletes to find meaningful ways to impact the communities in which they live and work.