It seems fitting that Atlanta United will host the Houston Dynamo this weekend in a key MLS matchup.
Just ahead of Juneteeth, Atlanta’s soccer team has unveiled a new custom retail line they say will celebrate Atlanta’s rich Black culture, while paying tribute to the date that formerly enslaved men and women in Texas were finally told they were free, some two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
The Legacy Collection will consist of t-shirts, sweatshirts, scarves, and a Juneteenth patch which players will wear in the club’s next two matches, against the Houston Dynamo and D.C. United.
Elements featured throughout the collection include the colors red, blue and white, derived from the Juneteenth flag, and flowers from both a southern magnolia, symbolizing the history and culture of the South, and the blanket flower, which is native to Galveston, Texas, the birthplace of Juneteenth.
Credit: Cam Kirk
Credit: Cam Kirk
The patch that the players will wear displays the date June 19, 1865, the moment when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas to announce that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free by executive decree.
That date would come to be known as “Juneteenth.”
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill officially making Juneteenth, the 19th of June annually, a federal holiday.
The Legacy Collection is the club’s first player-led collaboration and blends history with the players’ perspectives, as a statement for the club and the city of Atlanta.
Atlanta United players Ajani Fortune, Tristan Muyumba, Xande Silva, Caleb Wiley, Derrick Williams, and former player Derrick Etienne provided insight and inspiration to guide the Atlanta United design team from ideation to production.
Credit: Cam Kirk
Credit: Cam Kirk
Skate Noftsinger, Atlanta United’s chief business officer, called the collaboration a meaningful way to celebrate “Atlanta’s vibrant Black culture,” while honoring the significance of Juneteenth.
“By working closely with our players, we have created a collection that reflects their personal experiences and heritage, ensuring that the designs are both authentic and impactful,” Noftsinger said.
“We hope this collection not only resonates with our community in Atlanta but also supports the vital work of Black Players for Change.”
Credit: Cam Kirk
Credit: Cam Kirk
Proceeds of the collection will benefit Black Players for Change, an organization consisting of Black players, coaches, and staff from Major League Soccer, which bridges racial equity gaps across the sport.
The Legacy Collection will be available Thursday at the club’s Team Store at Atlantic Station. It will also be available at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium Team Store starting Saturday, during Atlanta United’s home match against Houston.
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