The United Soccer League has renewed its partnership with Black Arrow FC, continuing the collaboration between the two organisations and the USL Black Players Alliance that began last year with the goal of telling cool, compelling stories at the intersection of soccer and black culture.
Black Arrow FC’s influence in the game continues to grow, and following on from their first foray into football into English football with Wolves, news has now broken that they have renewed their partnership with the USL. Launched in 2017, Black Arrow FC specialise in projects that harness the influence of black culture to elevate the perception of soccer in America, and their partnership with the USL and USLBPA promises to pick up right where they left off, continuing to highlight stories at the intersection of soccer and black culture.
In 2020, Black Arrow, the USL and the USLBPA collaborated on a first-of-its-kind studio show focused on highlighting notable Black players across the USL Championship and League One, as well as the surrounding culture, including stories on DaMarcus Beasley, Birmingham Legion FC and 2021 Championship newcomer Oakland Roots SC among others. In the upcoming year, the collaboration will continue with numerous in-season studio shows, new short documentary projects, and the creation of a new monthly digital content series.
“Black Arrow is family,” said Senior Vice President of Communications and Community Ryan Madden. “Aaron and his team are ultra talented, tell some of the coolest, most unique stories in American soccer and on behalf of everyone at USL HQ, we’re looking forward to creating with them throughout 2021 and beyond.”
In addition to its partnership with the USL and USLBPA, Black Arrow has also teamed up with the LA Galaxy and Serie A’s AS Roma for unique collaborations. As a multicultural creative agency, Black Arrow’s aim is to help clients in the soccer industry elevate their brands with resonant content, telling stories that will engage African Americans and consumers of Black Culture.
"We are excited to extend this partnership,” said USLBPA Co-Founder and Executive Committee Member Brandon Miller. “Black Arrow is the leading brand focusing on the intersection of soccer and black culture. The commitment shown to highlighting black stories within the world of soccer is an important step in the right direction. We can't wait to continue to work with both the USL and Black Arrow to create even more exciting content!"
The new season of content will kick off in the build-up to the 2021 USL Championship and League One seasons, both of which will begin on or about 1 May.
Photography by Gavin Guidry.
