Welcome to our new class of 2026–2027 UNCF-Mellon Fellows: Nafessa Muhammad, Clarissa Myrick-Harris White, Félix Miguel Rosario Ortiz, Deanna Koretsky, and Tanya Clark and James T. Laney Dissertation Fellow Andrew Aldridge. Say hi when you see them around campus or at events.

Statement to ESPN from Josh Kushner and Bob Iger: “As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world. We have immense respect for the leadership and vision of Jerry and Jeanie Buss. Our long-term commitment is to build on that foundation, compete at the highest level, and serve this extraordinary team, its fans, and the city of Los Angeles."

During his eight years in Spain, playing for Real Madrid, the Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior has been a frequent subject of racist abuse, at least 20 times, by his count. Through Vinícius, and Brazil at large, we can see how players with roots in the African diaspora helped create the multibillion-dollar enterprise that is soccer today, writes Peter L'Official (@apostropheoh). The sport’s first global superstar, Pelé, was a Black man from southeastern Brazil, which makes it remarkable that one of his heirs, so many years later, has become a focal point for so much racist abuse. Why? “The simple answer is he has never been the only one,” writes L’Official. As Vinícius prepares to take the field for Brazil at the World Cup — an event that will showcase on the global stage the ubiquity and virtuosity of Black footballers, representing nations as demographically different as Austria and Japan — it’s clear that soccer’s fraught relationship with race is both stuck in time and haunted by the sport’s ever more cosmopolitan future. FIFA likes to say that “football unites the world,” but Vinícius’s experience suggests football alone can do no such thing. Read L’Official on how Vinícius can serve as a study for how to combat racism in soccer: nymag.visitlink.me/d7VrwE

An Angel’s DREAM💭 🅰️TL WHAT UP?! @AtlantaDream

A new course gave #Emory students the chance to examine the power of sports in culture & society. “Sports, Power & Society,” analyzes how sports intersect with economics, fashion, global power, politics, race & urban planning. links.emory.edu/1qk #EmoryUniversity