Creating More Peaceful and Equitable Communities
One PeacePlayer at a time
About Us
PeacePlayers believes that basketball has the power to be a catalyst for change. PeacePlayers is developing a global movement of young leaders who are using the game of basketball to bridge divides, create equitable opportunities, and to build more peaceful societies.
In 2017, Nike helped launch, and continues to support, PeacePlayers as a flagship partner in the United States.
In 2020, PeacePlayers United States was honored to be one of the four recipients of the Beyond Sport and Dick's Sporting Goods Foundation Collective Impact Award for Reducing Racial Inequalities.
What we Do
Systemic inequity among BIPOC in the United States breeds a lack of opportunity and community divisions.
Systemic racial inequity and disparity exist for BIPOC Americans in every facet of life: economy, education, health and involvement in the criminal justice system. Youth of color are denied economic, educational and social opportunities to thrive, deepening disparities and racial divides.
PeacePlayers United States works long-term with young people ages 8 to 18, who over time become the coaches and leaders within the program and in their communities.
Equity
PeacePlayers learn how to navigate the systemic social, economic, and educational inequities they face in order to thrive and to be active players in the dismantling of deep disparities and racial divides.
Bridging divides
PeacePlayers see the humanity of others; whether they are from a rival housing project, a different neighborhood or even a different nation.
Youth leadership
PeacePlayers develop their personal skills, potential, and talents to become leaders in their communities for peace and equity.
Where We Work
Our Programming
PeacePlayers United States engages over XXX American youth, ages 6-25, in year-round and multi-year basketball training, conflict resolution education and leadership development activities. Programs are divided as follows:
Peace League
*Short Description Here*
Girl's Peace League
*Short Description here*
Leadership Development program
*Short Description Here*
Proven Impact
of Chicago youth indicate new confidence in their leadership skills after their first year with PeacePlayers
youth reached in Baltimore since the inception of PeacePlayers Baltimore
of youth participants in Brooklyn and Detroit were able to experience something they normally would not have because of PeacePlayers
of PeacePlayers United States staff are women
youth are engaged each year through PeacePlayers Los Angeles programming.
Our Team
Rashawn Martin
Program Coordinator, PeacePlayers Baltimore
Location: Baltimore
Email: rmartin@peaceplayers.org
Rashawn Martin was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and has attended Baltimore inner-city school systems all her life! As an outstanding student at the top school in her city, Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, she accomplished many personal and academic accolades. Her older brother Raheem Martin has played a pivotal role in her upbringing related to sports, providing enthusiasm for athletics and a competitive spirit that Rashawn has mimicked throughout her life. As a result, she excelled in many different sports in high school, such as in indoor and outdoor track & field, and dominated in chess.
Rashawn‘s ability to align her purpose with destiny has positioned her throughout life. Her indomitable will to succeed and desire to persevere in the face of adversity allowed her to acquire an undergraduate degree in criminal justice and a minor in philosophy. She currently serves as the Program Coordinator of Peaceplayers Baltimore while obtaining her Master’s in Negotiations and Conflict Management at the University of Baltimore.
She is very excited to be a part of the team and help build capacity, as this fulfills both her lifelong desire to make a difference in Baltimore and her primary passion for building developing youth into future leaders and problem solvers.
Alesha Smith
Director, PeacePlayers Brooklyn
Location: Brooklyn
Email: asmith@peaceplayers.org
Alesha is the newest addition to the PeacePlayers team and is excited to continue her career in Brooklyn as the Brooklyn Program Director.
Alesha was born in Brooklyn, NY but was raised in Athens, GA. Her love for basketball began early when her mother and father introduced her to the game. She grew up playing basketball with her brothers and the other boys in her neighborhood until she was old enough to play on an organized team. Her work ethic and skill earned her a scholarship to play Division I basketball at Mercer University, but after an almost career- ending injury, Alesha would later transfer to Xavier University of Louisiana (an HBCU in New Orleans) where she would finish her collegiate basketball career with two conference championships and a B.A in Political Science in 2016.
After graduation, Alesha turned down the opportunity to play professional basketball overseas because of her strong commitment to social justice. She instead decided to move to Brooklyn, NY and began her career as a Community Organizer at one of the largest nonprofits in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Community Services, where she worked in partnership with various mental health facilities, homeless shelters, community centers, and after school programs in some of Brooklyn’s most under resourced neighborhoods with the goal of creating a better Brooklyn for all.
After three years as an organizer, Alesha returned to sports as a Program Manager at Up2Us Sports. At Up2Us, Alesha helped train and support over 100 coaches on best practices in mentorship and sports-based youth development.
Alesha recently completed her M.A at New York University in Steinhardt’s Educational Leadership, Politics, and Advocacy program. She is dedicated to the intersection of sport and social justice and centers the transformational power that sport has to build and maintain community.
Matthew Jamison
Program Manager, PeacePlayers Brooklyn
Location: Brooklyn
Email: mjamison@peaceplayers.org
Matt’s coaching philosophy: I believe that it is a coaches’ job to educate their players on the game of basketball as well as life. I believe that a coach should be encouraging, uplifting, gentle yet truthful, firm when necessary, but above all, loving.
Jasmine Cooper
Director, PeacePlayers Detroit
Location: Detroit
Email: jcooper@peaceplayers.org
Jasmine Cooper is a passionate mentor, coach and leader who believes “it is easier to build strong children than repair broken men” (Frederick Douglas). Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Jasmine has experienced firsthand the benefits of participating in youth development programs and she plans to dedicate her life to be a resource for youth to reach their full potential.
Jasmine grew up on the eastside of Detroit and graduated from academic standout, Detroit Renaissance High School. After high school, Jasmine moved to Washington, D.C. to attend Howard University where she earned her bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and MBA in finance. Upon completion of her collegiate education, Jasmine moved back to Detroit where she began to work in the financial industry and coach girls’ basketball. Jasmine immediately recognized the deep passion she had for mentoring and coaching youth and she has spent the last 5 years coaching high school and travel AAU girls’ basketball.
With a desire to make a full-time impact on youth development, Jasmine joined PeacePlayers International as the Program Coordinator for Detroit in the summer of 2018. As the program coordinator Jasmine will be overseeing the Peace League and Leadership Development Program, working to build and maintain local program partnerships as well as recruiting and training support lead coaches and staff. Jasmine is excited to be able to mesh her passions for basketball, youth development and mentorship to help continuously grow the impact PeacePlayers has on the youth in the city of Detroit.
elita holloway
operations manager detroit
Location: Detroit
Email: eholloway@peaceplayers.org
Elita A. Holloway was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Raised as an only child of a single mother, Elita was often involved in camps, after school activities, and sports programs. Through these programs, she had the opportunity to develop as an athlete and a leader.
Elita has always had a passion for sports and youth development. She began her career as a volunteer basketball coach at the age of 16, and could often be found helping her mother, an athletic director for a K-12 athletic program, during after school hours. It was in this space, she developed an appreciation for the organization and planning of sports programs.
Elita’s passion for youth development was fulfilled through her years as an English teacher in Detroit, Michigan. As an educator, Elita has had the opportunity to work with youth outside of the sports realm.
Elita joins PeacePlayers as the Detroit Operations Manager. In this role, she is excited to continue bringing high quality, engaging programming to the youth of Detroit.
Michael Hundley
Coach, PeacePlayers Detroit
Location: Detroit
Email: mhundley@peaceplayers.org
Michael Hundley joined PeacePlayers as a part time coach in February 2022. He eventually got hired full time as a program coordinator on July 1st, 2022. Michael was born in Detroit, Michigan and eventually moved out to Farmington Hills, MI with his family where he was the youngest of 3 brothers. Michael grew up loving the game of basketball from an early age. He was coached in AAU by former NBA player Tim McCormick most of middle school and all high school. He attended Detroit Renaissance where he graduated from in 2011 with many collegiate basketball offers from NCAA division one and two.
Michael attended The Citadel University for two years 2011-2013 then transferred to Ashland University to finish out his playing career 2013-2016. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management and a minor in sports management. After college he got the opportunity to play professional basketball overseas for four to five years in places such as Spain, Australia and Albania. As he was spending time overseas, he had a lot of time to reflect on what career path he wanted to try and which direction he wanted to go in.
Michael always loved being around the game of basketball while also teaching kids certain life/leadership skills they might not learn in school. He worked for summer camps and recreation facilities part time anytime he would return home from basketball. In the beginning of 2022, he was searching the internet and came across PeacePlayers. He emailed the director of Detroit Jasmine, and everything instantly connected from there. Michael looks forward to all the amazing opportunities PeacePlayers has to offer!
Brittannee Oakley
Program Coordinator Los Angeles
Location: Los Angeles
Email: boakley@peaceplayers.org
Brittanee is an LA native who grew up in Inglewood, CA. Brittanee developed a deep love for basketball from a young age, a passion that was nurtured by watching and attending Lakers games with her mom, which and eventually led her to join a travel ball team in 8th grade. Brittanee ended her basketball career on the court during her junior year of high school due to personal reasons. She is grateful for the significant impact her coaches had on her. For the past 14 years, she has been fortunate to work as a middle school girls basketball coach, tutor and, most recently, the behavior interventionist for View Park High School at ICEF (Inner City Educational Foundation), which has allowed her to guide and support young athletes as they grow both on and off the court. Witnessing the positive impact of sports on the personal development of children has been immensely fulfilling for her. PeacePlayers LA partnered with View Park Middle school, where Brittanee was first introduced to the organization. The core values and principles of PeacePlayers resonated deeply with the approach she had been implementing, and it felt like a perfect match. She was honored to be selected to attend the Friendship Games in Israel as part of the program. The experience was transformative, as she witnessed firsthand the profound impact basketball can have on a global scale. The interactions she had with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures during her time in Israel were life-changing, and she has been filled with excitement ever since. Brittanee eagerly looks forward to her journey with PeacePlayers LA, where she will have the opportunity to help children grow through the incredible game of basketball. The chance to combine her love for the sport with her passion for guiding young minds is truly a dream come true.
Our National Partners
