Black Athletes Who Give Back

Athletes who open their hearts to causes they support.

Wade Davis - Wade Davis played for the Tennessee Titans and also played in preseason games for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. In 2012, Davis came out and began writing about the struggles of gay men in the NFL.(Photo: NFL / AP)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, was given a new title recently when he was appointed as an American cultural ambassador by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Abdul-Jabbar will represent the United States abroad in an effort to engage young people to help promote democracy. The basketball legend told MSNBC that he accepted the position because “I would like to see that my country is portrayed in accurate fashion.”(Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Ivory Latta  - After both her father and grandmother were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, WMBA star Ivory Latta vowed to do more to raise awareness about the disease, signing on as a national ambassador for the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation Champion’s Program in January 2011. “This experience drives me to help other families touched by the disease,” Latta has said about her involvement in the cause.(Photo: Grant Halverson/Getty Images)/content/dam/betcom/images/2011/11/Sports/111111-sports-muhammad-ali-joe-frazier-funeral.jpg

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Wade Davis Speaks Out for LGBT Youth - Here’s a look a 11 star athletes who support causes close to their hearts.—Britt MiddletonEX-NFL player Wade Davis, who recently revealed his homosexuality, now works with the Hetrick-Martin Institute in New York City, which provides career counseling and job readiness workshops for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender at-risk youth. The cornerback formerly played with the Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins and the Seattle Seahawks. (Photo: NFL / AP)

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