DENVER — Each Wednesday in the multipurpose room at the Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club, the floor in front of the television is cleared, sofas pushed to the edges of the room to make room for five rows of plastic-backed chairs.
Nearly 30 teenagers and a few adults filter into the room and take their seats, ready to start another session of the educational program conducted by RISE, a nonprofit organization that “educates and empowers the sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations.”
As they get a quick bite of pizza, it appears that for the sake of time maybe they’ll skip one of the other weekly rituals this time, but the kids quickly protest and Broncos safety Justin Simmons is called to the front of the room.
Before they dive into issues of social justice and inequality, they need to warm up with some physical movement, and this is where Simmons comes in.
From the front of the room, the Pro Bowl safety leads them in a series of stretches. They bend to touch their toes, roll their heads in clockwise circles and stretch their arms up to the ceiling.
With the calisthenics over, Simmons takes his seat and the physical actions shift to mental activity as RISE instructor Chris Chavez begins to go through the day’s topic and discussion points. Simmons’ involvement isn’t done, though. Over the course of the afternoon, he remains an active participant, as he has over the past two years of the educational sessions.
The program’s curriculum, which was completed Wednesday, features the teaching of historical leaders and key moments but is largely centered on discussion, talking through the definitions of equity, identity and privilege and working through hypothetical scenarios or case studies to gain a better understanding of societal challenges and the ways people can advocate for change in the face of prejudice and other issues.
“I’m really appreciative of RISE and just the conversations that they’re pushing,”…
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