Brandon Fitzgerald, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of the Special Olympics Board of Directors, has been a lifelong advocate for fairness and equality.
In Brandon’s role, he has played an integral role in ensuring Special Olympics operates to the highest standards so that policies, partnerships and organizational decisions remain firmly rooted in inclusive practices. His work is essential to building a more equitable global sports community that empowers and elevates the voices of Special Olympics athletes around the world.
How long have you been part of the Special Olympics and how did you get involved with the movement?
I joined Special Olympics in January 2022. However, I have been part of/familiar with the movement for much longer. I helped create a legal internship program and we placed law students in the Special Olympics legal department for many years. A year ago, Angela Ciccolo (a former Special Olympics Chief Legal Officer) invited all interns and others involved in the internship program to attend a Special Olympics Unified Sports® Bocce event almost 15 years ago.
Why should everyone celebrate black history?
In college I attended a talk given by the legendary Dr. Maya Angelou in college. Quoting the Roman playwright Terrence, she said: “I am a man, I regard nothing human as alien to me.”
When I am asked why everyone should celebrate black history, my answer, as a history major, is that black history is history. It is not separate from the human story.
The history of Black people in America is a core part of the American story. The architects of the American Republic continually struggled with race-based slavery. Ultimately, a civil war was fought to decide whether an agricultural economy based on slave labor would be America’s future. Unfortunately, America was still struggling with race a hundred years later in the Civil Rights Movement.
Looking at the stories of Harriett Tubman, Fredrick Douglass, WEB Du Bois, James Weldon Johnson, John Hope Frankin, and so many others will help you understand American history.
Which black historical figure inspires you and why?
There are far too many to mention. Two of my favorites are Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe. Gibson broke the color barrier in tennis long before Ashe. These two individuals not only won multiple Grand Slam titles, but also fought for civil rights. They had the humor and calm presence needed to promote equality.
How do you think institutions and individuals can actively advance racial equality, beyond performative gestures?
The Civil Rights Movement was essentially about fairness. In one of the landmark civil rights cases, a restaurant open to the public argued that segregation based on religious beliefs was okay. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected that argument. It’s important to take a moment to think about what America would be like if someone, at any time, could exclude individuals from public spaces and justify prejudice by claiming it was based on religious belief.
If you are truly committed to equality, you must work to make the world more fair and just.
Brandon Fitzgerald, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of the Special Olympics Board of Directors
During the Montgomery Bus Boycott, black taxpayers demanded that public buses treat them the same as their non-black brethren.
In my opinion, racial equity is about ensuring that Black Americans have the same access and opportunities as other Americans.
If you are truly committed to equality, you must work to make the world more fair and just. Black Americans are often the tip of the spear when it comes to conversations about equality and justice in America. If you see something not working for Black Americans, you can bet it won’t work for other segments of the population either. America is at its best when it works for everyone.
Special Olympics’ work is equity-based. The goal is to help people see the full beauty and capabilities of people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Special Olympics wants to ensure that people with intellectual disabilities have access to health care and can live the fullest possible lives.
As has been said (in one form or another by various individuals), “the arc of the moral universe may bend toward justice, but it does not bend of itself.”
So if you are serious about actively promoting racial equality, ensure equality for all people. Be committed to the principle that we are stronger together and that injustice against any of us is injustice against us all. If we take care of all of us, whether we’re in the Rust Belt or the Black Belt, America wins.
About Black History Month
Since 1976, Black History Month has been celebrated in the U.S. every February to honor the achievements and contributions that Black Americans have made to this country.
Since its founding in 1968, Black American athletes and staff have been at the forefront of the Special Olympics movement, leading the way for inclusion for those with and without ID.
The message of inclusion extends to all people, regardless of race or ethnicity. Visit our Black History Month page for more stories about impact.
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