Human rights activist, pioneer for racial equality, internationally recognized expert on sports and social issues, scholar and author Richard E. Lapchick is often described as “the racial conscience of sport.”
He brought his commitment to equality and his belief that sport can be an effective instrument of positive social change to University of Central Florida in August 2001 where he launched the DeVos Sports Business Management Program. In 2015 it was named the number 2 program in the world by SportsBusiness International.
Lapchick is a prolific writer. His 17th book was published in 2018. Lapchick is a regular columnist for ESPN.com and The Sports Business Journal.
He has spoken in the United States Congress, at the United Nations, in the European Parliament and at the Vatican
He was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame of the Commonwealth Nations in the category of Humanitarian along with Arthur Ashe and Nelson Mandela.
Lapchick was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. He was named as one of Beyond Sports Inspirational 50 people (living and passed) who used sport to change the world along with Billie Jean King, Muhammad Ali and Nelson Mandela.
Lapchick was named one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Sports and has received 10 honorary degrees.
Lapchick was one of 200 guests personally invited by Nelson Mandela to his inauguration after leading the American sports boycott of South Africa from 1975 until the end of Apartheid.
