Drew Brees and his wife, Brittany, will be the presenting sponsors of the Black College Football Hall of Fame's "The Road to Equality" event next month, the New Orleans Saints quarterback tweeted Thursday.
Brittany & I are proud to support BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL...THE ROAD TO EQUALITY as the Presenting Sponsor. An incredible opportunity to recognize the journey and struggles of so many who have truly paved the way for all of us. RSVP https://t.co/ad2ReFnAJ9 TODAY! @BCFHOF #HBCU
— Drew Brees (@drewbrees) June 25, 2020
This is the latest in the Brees' efforts to be "allies" for the Black community and "part of the solution" in the fight for racial equality and social justice.
They vowed to do so earlier this month after the quarterback's comments about "disrespecting the flag" by kneeling during the national anthem caused widespread backlash. Brees later apologized multiple times and said he gained a greater understanding from friends and teammates about why his comments "completely missed the mark."
Brees followed up with an Instagram post addressed to President Donald Trump, saying, "We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our Black communities."
As the presenting sponsor, the Brees family is providing both financial and promotional support to "The Road to Equality" event, which is scheduled to be streamed July 15 and hosted by NFL Network's Steve Wyche and CBS' Charles Davis.
The event will celebrate the history of players from historically Black colleges and universities and "engage in the national discussion on social justice," according to the event's website. It will include discussions with many of the 90 members of the Black College Football Hall of Fame, according to executive director Marques Fitch.
Brees said they made the contribution to "support all their efforts and to recognize so many outstanding Black college football players and their contributions and continue their legacy."
"Our goal for this meaningful event is to engage in the national discussion on social justice by sharing the history of Black college football and its impact on civil rights," he said. "It is also intended to be a platform to raise funds and awareness for HBCU football programs and the Black College Football Hall of Fame."
Other sponsors of the event include the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, the Robert Kraft Patriots Foundation, Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury, and Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn and his wife, Kristi.