Our Priorities
Our Coalition sustains the NBA family’s commitment to social justice.
Mission
The National Basketball Social Justice Coalition is a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization that leads the NBA family’s efforts to advance social justice. Formed jointly by the NBA, NBPA, and NBCA in 2020, the Coalition leverages the game of basketball’s influence to promote policy, build strategic partnerships, and empower action in NBA markets across the nation.
Our Model
How do we do the work? We ACT:
- ADVOCATE for better laws and policies
- CONVENE to bring people together to build political power
- TELL THE STORY of change
Issues
Criminal Justice
Stem entry into the justice system and eliminate harmful effects and collateral consequences of justice system involvement.
FAST FACTS
500%
Nearly 2 million people – disproportionately Black Americans – are incarcerated in the United states, an increase of 500% over the last 50 years. 6
19.1%
In 2017, Black men received sentences 19.1% longer than similarly situated white men, and were 6 times as likely to be incarcerated. 7
Community Safety
Promote public health approach to address gun violence & advocate for evidence-based intervention & prevention strategies.
FAST FACTS
43,000
43,000 Americans die from gun violence every year, an average of more than 116 per day.7
5X
Today, gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and adolescents.8 Black youth are 5 times more likely than white youth to die by gun.9
Voting Rights
Strengthen democracy through civic participation by turning out voters, combating laws that suppress votes, and supporting expanded access.
FAST FACTS
17
In 2023 alone, lawmakers passed at least 17 restrictive laws in 14 states to restrict access to voting. 356 bills were introduced in 47 states. 1
2X
On average, Black people had to wait in line to vote for twice as long as white people. 2
Policing
Focus efforts on policies that strive for equitable, consistent, safe, and transparent policing.
FAST FACTS
2.5X
More people were killed by police in 2023 than any other year in the past decade. 3 Between 2015 and 2021, Black Americans were 2.5 times as likely to be shot and killed by police officers as white Americans. 4
$1.5b
More than $1.5 billion has been spent to settle claims of police misconduct. 5
1Brennan Center for Justice, State Voting Laws, 2023; 2Charles Stewart III – Waiting to Vote in 2012 Report; 3Mapping Police Violence, Police Violence Report, 2023; 4The Sentencing Project, One in Five: Disparities in Crime and Policing, 2023; 5The Washington Post, The hidden billion-dollar cost of repeated police misconduct, 2022 ; 6The Sentencing Project, 50 Years and a Wake Up, 2023; 7United States Sentencing Commission, 2017 & The Sentencing Project, 2021 8 Giffords Law Center, Gun Violence Statistics, 2024; 9 Giffords Center for Violence Intervention, Community Violence Intervention: What You Need to Know, 2022,Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021; 10Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Underlying Cause of Death, 4 Year Average, 2021