Last night, from details received from a NISA source, a Protagonist Soccer-affiliated twitter account (@knightswhoNISA) posted information about a NISA EDI (Equality, Diversity, Inclusion) event. All teams had participated in that event except one, which the source had refused to identify, but hinted “you can guess who it was.” An assumption was made that the club that failed to participate was Michigan Stars, given the ownership’s outspoken support of extreme right wing politics, including hosting Donald Trump rallies in Michigan, during an ongoing pandemic. The Northern Guard twitter account later confirmed that it was the Michigan Stars organization that declined to participate.

NISA has made EDI a priority for the league, even forming a committee of players and staff to guide the league in creating a more equitable and anti-racist work environment. The committee and its 14 members were announced earlier this month. At the time, Commissioner Prutch highlighted the importance of the move. “NISA’s Equity Committee is designed to bring equal vocal and visual representation to people of color and women in our soccer ecosystem. Along with NISA’s rapid growth as a league, we are refining how we operate. That includes a visible commitment as an anti-racist organization to equity, diversity and inclusion.”

After the events of last evening, Protagonist Soccer reached out to the league for comment and received some specific clarifications. What had been described as an EDI event to us, “wasn't an event,” it was a “progress update on [NISA’s] EDI operations announced last fall.” The meeting did include the recording of “a piece to demonstrate the league's anti-racist position.” When and where that recording will be used wasn’t included in the statement we received.

When asked to clarify if the Michigan Stars did not attend the “progress update,” a league spokesperson pointed out that “we are a league of independent clubs. Every player and club has the option to attend/participate. We can't and won't speak for those who didn't attend, and we won't shame them, either. We are grateful for the participation we had...and that more players volunteered to participate on our equity council.”

The mantra of “independence” is repeatedly used by NISA when issues arrive at the league’s doorstep. But in this moment, independence seems to be flying in the opposite direction of taking an “anti-racist position.” As Malini Ranganathan, a member of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center, defines it, anti-racism involves “taking stock of and eradicating policies that are racist, that have racist outcomes and making sure that ultimately, we’re working towards a much more egalitarian, emancipatory society.” NISA seems to be deciding that allowing clubs to pursue their own political persuasions, even if those fly in the face of league-initiatives, is acceptable in the pursuit of independence. So which is the priority for the league moving forward? Is it to truly be an anti-racist organization or does club independence supercede that goal? Could a club espouse outright racist ideology and fly under the independence flag? How would NISA react and what steps would the league take, especially given their dedication to independence? The league is quickly coming to a crossroads with a very outspoken club owner and a crisis of conscience is at hand.

The events of this weekend prove that, as a club, Michigan Stars is not in line philosophically with the rest of the clubs of NISA. How long that position remains tenable remains to be seen.

- Dan Vaughn