For a third consecutive year in honor of Black History Month, the Chicago Bears hosted a "Black in Sports" panel conversation, providing Black professionals from across the organization an opportunity to share personal experiences, career insights and visibility into the sports industry.
The annual panel, which is shared across the Bears' social channels to help extend the conversation to a broader audience, is led by the club's Building Leaders and Creating Community (B.L.A.C.C.) Employee Resource Group (ERG).
Launched in 2023, the B.L.A.C.C. ERG creates space for all employees to engage in education, professional development and community-focused dialogue across the organization.
"We are proud of our Employee Resource Group efforts in order to continue to build community among staff and positively impact the Club's culture," vice president of human resources Kristin Rogers said.
Through general body meetings, game nights, volunteer opportunities, kickback parties in conjunction with other club ERGs and much more, the group's co-leads — social media coordinator Chidera Udeh and partnership activation coordinator Marquis White — are working to foster an intentional space for connection and visibility not just during Black History Month, but year-round.
"Three words come to mind when I think about the B.L.A.C.C. ERG: growth, culture, and community," Udeh said. "The ERG is nothing without its members and everything it does is specifically catered to serve them in some way. Therefore, our staff knowing that there's a space completely dedicated to their personal and professional growth is invaluable.
"Personally, being a part of this ERG has been so rewarding. Not only have I been able to develop as a leader, but I've also found a strong community and built meaningful relationships."
The B.L.A.C.C. ERG operates on four pillars — education and professional development, business enhancement, community engagement and culture building — and is one of three ERGs at the Bears, the other two focused on women of the Bears and then young professionals in the organization. All three groups aim to create community, support and inclusivity as well as help enhance the championship culture at the Bears.
To help the ERGs flourish, each has an executive sponsor that both guides and supports the group's efforts. For the B.L.A.C.C. ERG, that voice of leadership is executive vice president of revenue & chief business officer Meka White Morris, who will enter her third season with the club in 2026.
"Serving as the Executive Sponsor for the B.L.A.C.C. ERG has been a privilege," Morris said. "What Chidera, Marquis and the members of this group are building inside Halas Hall is more than community — it's momentum. They are creating space for leadership, opportunity and meaningful connection not only within our building, but across the broader Chicagoland community.
"I'm incredibly proud of the intentional, year-round impact they are making — and especially the way they elevate voices and spark dialogue through initiatives like our Black in Sports panel during Black History Month. This is what purpose-driven leadership looks like."
This year's Black in Sports panel featured special advisor to the President/CEO & chief administrative officer Ted Crews, director of digital marketing Crystal Sain, player engagement coordinator Brice McAllister and suite service coordinator Ariyanna Robb.
The hour-long conversation, moderated by content presenter Jasmine Baker, gives viewers incredible insight into the different roles in the sports industry as well as the wide variety of paths taken by the panelists to reach the Chicago Bears.
"I hope that viewers see that there is power in being authentically yourself and that there are many paths toward finding success in the sports industry," Udeh said. "All of the panelists' journeys are valuable because it's shaped them into the people and professionals they are today."
The panelists spoke openly about a variety of important topics such as the value of mentor and mentee relationships, the power of building meaningful relationships within the demanding sports industry, the meaning of diverse representation within the Bears organization.
"My hope is that people see that excellence and authenticity can coexist," White said. "I hope people are able to feel inspired, informed and confident that they can carve out their own path in sports – and truly say, 'I belong here too.'"
The full Black in Sports panel can be viewed below.
