Creavalle’s t-shirt a start, not a solution
Put yourself in Warren Creavalle’s shoes for a second.
It’s the first week of July. Creavalle and his Union teammates are sequestered in the MLS Is Back tournament bubble in Orlando, days away from the start of the tournament, the first American men’s pro sports league to return from the COVID-19 pandemic. The last month has been riven by protests across the United States and the globe, bringing new awareness to long-standing issues of systemic inequality, racial injustice and police brutality.
Creavalle, an eight-year MLS veteran, is one of many voices to step forward in the formation of Black Players for Change, whose board includes friends and current/ former teammates like Ray Gaddis, Justin Morrow and CJ Sapong. As the organization planned to make its presence felt at the July 8 return to play, Gaddis volunteered Creavalle and his eponymous apparel company to design the shirts that members of the movement would wear.
There’s Creavalle: On a short deadline, away from his normal workspace, during a global pandemic that has taxed every ounce of national infrastructure, designing and orchestrating production of several hundred t-shirts (20-some players plus a dozen staff multiplied by 24 teams) for rush bubble delivery.
Oh yeah, and while doing that, still training to be ready to play in midfield for the Union.
And, as Creavalle revealed last week via social media, doing it while being away from his wife, Chelsea, who is pregnant with the couple’s first baby.
Got all that?
“It’s a lot of hard work,” Creavalle said. “It’s a lot of late nights from a lot of different people, a lot of Zoom calls. There was a ton going on behind the scenes, emotionally, physically, getting things done, and also showing up day in and day out to train, we all have jobs.
“It was a really taxing time, but with the thought being that all these things in the works for the greater good, you find motivation to dig a bit deeper to push through.”
The product of Creavalle’s determination and all those helping hands is the MLS Solidarity top, a symbol of Black players’ ongoing visibility and representation. It was worn by all of the league’s Black players, staff and coaches – some 170 people – in a moving demonstration of unity before the tournament opener between Orlando City and Inter Miami. It was worn by coaches and managers during each game of the tournament, and many clubs have continued to wear them after returning to home markets.
For a movement that has succeeded in being more than just a moment of protest in June after George Floyd’s killing, Creavalle has created a tangible, lasting symbol.
Creavalle has a cleareyed vision of what the shirt means: It’s an entry way to the conversation, not a solution or an end unto itself.
“That’s very present in my head, having something that’s tangible and can continue to live on past that moment, something that people can wear and express themselves,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s just one piece of the progress and part of an uphill battle. There’s a lot more that needs to be done. There’s a lot more that has been done, but I’m glad that I can contribute a piece, but it’s just that, one piece. A tshirt is not going to get us where we need to be, but if it can spark conversation and it can allow people to express themselves in a way they couldn’t before, that they were afraid to, if it can allow people to change other peoples’ minds, that’s a start.”
The Solidarity top was designed by the 30-yearold, who runs the Creavalle apparel company that has done pop-up events in Philadelphia, a product of Creavalle’s passion for design. The black athletic tee, produced in conjunction with adidas and Fanatic, features “Black Lives Matter.” on the front in bold gold font, emphasized with the period. The back features BLM across the shoulders with symbology familiar to the movement: A raised fist, a heart, two circular arrows with a line through them (signifying a breaking of the cycle of violence), and the purple silhouette of clasped hands. It displays a statement from Creavalle, a distillation of his mission that drew upon the words of others, including an essay by Timbers forward Jeremy Ebobisse:
“To be clear, this is not your distraction, it’s not your escape from real life. for some, this is everyday life. this is not politics, it’s not black vs white, it’s human RIGHTS. silence is violence. in certain cases, silence was suffocation. this is not meant for your comfort, it’s not meant to be a trend. it’s meant for your awareness, understanding, and mobilization. if you’re not uncomfortable, you’re doing it wrong. MLS is back, but Black Lives still Matter. they mattered yesterday, they matter today, and they MUST matter tomorrow”
After the tournament, where the Union made the semifinals and Creavalle played an important reserve role, he opened up sale to the public. The initial run of 525 shirts sold through the Creavalle brand website sold out in less than 24 hours. Orders through MLS’s site, originally designated as an unlimited run, sold out, too, though the league declined to share specific sales figures.
Creavalle is humbled by the response to a design that he admits entails more vulnerability in putting into the world than most of his work. It had to be a labor of love given all the challenges. But with what was on the line, personally and collectively, he was willing to push through.
“It made it that much more real for me, to be bringing a Black child into this world,” he said. “Even before that, my wife is Black, my sister is Black, my mom is Black, my dad is Black. These are issues that are very near and dear to my heart. And it’s always been personal for me. It’s never been political. … This is just human rights. If we can make the world a safer space for all of our kids in the future, isn’t that the goal?”