On the eve of the NBA All-Star weekend, The Kennedy Forum is convening top talent, commentators, and community leaders to bring to light the latest in how professional sports teams and their players are embracing mental wellness as a way to succeed on and off the playing field – and how our communities can benefit from these approaches to improve mental health. Following the program, visit with local community partners who continue this important work here in Chicago.

Speakers:

Metta World Peace // Former Laker, American professional basketball coach, and NBA World Champion, Metta World Peace is a voice for mental health advocacy and regularly campaigns on behalf of mental health awareness with organizations such as LA County Department of Mental Health, the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and NAMI.

Elzie Lee “LZ” Granderson // A columnist for the LA Times, LZ is known for sharing his perspective on how sports connect with politics, culture, race, fashion, and music. He appears regularly on The Times’ Spectrum News 1’s daily news magazine program, “LATimes Today” and is the co-host of ESPNLA 710 Radio’s “Mornings with Keyshawn, LZ and Travis.” Read more.

Chamique Holdsclaw  // An eleven-year veteran of the WNBA, six-time WNBA all-star, and a three-time NCAA Player of the Year, Chamique has dedicated her life’s work to mental health and wellness activism, and is the subject of the documentary film “Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw.”

Dr. William Parham // Widely known for his work on the interplay between sport psychology, multiculturalism/diversity, trauma, and health psychology, Dr. Parham’s serves as the inaugural Director of the Mental Health and Wellness Program of the National Basketball Players Association.

Jessica Wagner // As the first nurse at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Jessica creates programming and public health initiatives to support the health and wellness of student-athletes, affecting nearly half a million-collegiate student-athletes across the United States.

Tickets are $15. Please click here to purchase. 

For group ticket pricing and sponsorships, please contact James Burns at james@thekennedyforum.org.