The Black Women’s Player Collective Is Leveling Up NWSL’s Juneteenth Programming | OneFootball

Abby Smith doesn’t get a lot of downtime. The Houston Dash goalkeeper juggles training, recovery and game days along with her role as secretary of the NWSL’s Black Women’s Player Collective (BWPC). This year, Smith has played an integral role in planning marquee programming for Juneteenth 2025, and although she is busier than ever, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I think Juneteenth is something really important,” Smith says. “We’re at 160 years, and it’s something that a lot of people are still getting facts and history on. We can celebrate in each [NWSL] market and really embrace that, please there are Black players in this league, and representation in each market. We want to acknowledge that Juneteenth is a federal holiday and celebrate the history behind it.”

It took two and a half years for the more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas to hear about President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. That day, June 19th, 1865, would eventually go on to become Juneteenth, a holiday celebrated in Black communities. It would become a federal holiday in the United States 156 years later.

For the BWPC, Juneteenth presents an opportunity not just to bring awareness to the history, but to celebrate Black women and players across the NWSL while remaining laser-focused on their mission of inspiring the next generation of Black women in all areas of life.

“I love the fact that we’re starting to celebrate Juneteenth more,” Smith says. “I would love for people to know the history of Juneteenth, because as a Black player and a Black woman, it’s extremely important. We need to be able to embrace the fact that Juneteenth happened because Black slaves were freed, but they weren’t freed until two years later on June 19th, and we’re slowly building that into a celebration across different platforms.”

Celebrating on game day

This year, the BWPC is taking its Juneteenth programming to the next level. With teams across the league hosting Juneteenth celebrations at games around the holiday, the BWPC has partnered with clubs on activations including Angel City FC, Bay FC, Racing Louisville, Washington Spirit, and Gotham FC.

According to Laura Petro, vice president of brand and fan experience for Gotham FC, the importance of the club’s Juneteenth celebration is a reflection of the club’s diverse and inclusive community and fan base.

“We’re very fortunate to get to create these moments where we bring our fans together and celebrate our community,” Petro says.

The celebrations at Gotham’s Juneteenth match on June 21st will be community focused, including a drum line and dance performance by a local organization Marching Cobras, a Black-owned vendor pop up of local businesses, a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and a halftime recognition of community groups including the BWPC.

“Perhaps what I’m most excited about is we were able to work with our community team to bring 56 girls out to the match in collaboration with the BWPC, working with PowerPlay NYC to provide complimentary tickets and transportation for the girls to come out and enjoy the Gotham match,” Petro says. “We are also working with the BWPC to support the [prematch warmup] shirt they developed with the league for sale exclusively at the match.”

This year, the BWPC teamed up with Cortney Herron, an acclimated visual artist, to design the limited-edition Juneteenth prematch tops. The tops will be worn by players throughout the league on Juneteenth weekend, honoring the legacy of the holiday with a unified message: Celebrate Freedom.

“The Juneteenth celebratory shirts mean a lot because you see the players supporting and showing that representation,” Smith says. “Getting the shirts on the players’ bodies league-wide is really important because of the platform they have [at the games and] on the broadcasts.”

Across the BWPC’s social channels, fans can find even more resources about Juneteenth and the Collective’s programming, such as lists of Black-owned businesses across NWSL markets.

“With the league buy-in, we’re starting to get more engagement,” Smith says. “Our goal is to eventually have every market celebrate Juneteenth, but we’re having a great collaboration [in select markets] on merch and scarves and so we would love for as many people to purchase that swag because it goes back to the BWPC and nonprofits that are being recognized, helping us provide the financial support for us to be able to give resources back to the players and show support in the community.”

Celebrating in the community

Beyond social media and game day celebrations, the BWPC is continuing their Elevate The Next programming with a Chicago-based five-on-five Juneteenth tournament for youth participants in collaboration with the Chicago Stars, PRO Referees and Mason Elementary on Thursday morning. The tournament will feature BWPC members, including Kayla Mills, Gabrielle Vincent and Darian Jenkins, a retired player turned TV analyst.

“Anytime I can kick around, especially with young kids, I’m all game,” Jenkins says. “I find it incredibly important for my retired butt to continue to stay involved in the BWPC, advocate, and be the representation I needed as a little girl with a big dream to play soccer.”

The tournament will conclude with a Q&A, player meet and greets, photo opportunities and a community celebration.

“This game and the intersectional, beautiful communities it brings together have made my career what it is,” Jenkins says. “The BWPC is showing that if you see it, it makes it so much easier to see yourself achieving your dreams.”

Getting girls to games is one of the primary goals of the BWPC, and for Smith, giving Black youth the resources and ability to see themselves represented on the field is a crucial part of the Collective’s work. Juneteenth is just one part of the year-round work the group does to give kids the resources they need to be a part of the beautiful game.

“It’s hard playing soccer, it’s expensive, it’s not easily accessible, so that’s our year-round goal—to get more girls to games, show them that they can be in our shoes, and give them a pathway,” she says. “Juneteenth is important to celebrate, but we’re doing things throughout the year so we can continue to build and grow in these communities.”

Smith sees a slow but steady growth around the league in not only acknowledging but actively celebrating Juneteenth and what it means to the Black players in the NWSL. As the league office grows, so can the work of the players, and so does the traction of the important work the BWPC is able to do year-round.

“There’s still a lot of room for growth, but we’re slowly getting there,” Smith says. “The goal is to have every single team really embrace and celebrate Juneteenth.”