The Second Edition of The Title IX Content Creator Series is Here
The “Burn It All Down” podcast, started by five friends with backgrounds in the sports industry, has built one of the most dedicated and diverse audiences in sports media today. The change that the hosts - Dr. Amira Rose Davis, Jessica Luther, Shireen Ahmed, Lindsay Gibbs, and Brenda Elsey - have ignited within the sports industry is one of the many reasons that these incredible women have been selected as recipients of Sports Innovation Lab’s Fan Project Title IX Grants. These grants seek to support and fuel young professionals that are paving the way and transforming the sports industry with content creation and business development.
Watch the Full Interview
In this week’s edition of our content creator series, we sat down with Amira and Jessica and talked about the culture of “Burn It All Down,” their unique fan base, and the group’s five year journey to get the podcast to where it is today. When talking about their decision to start the show, Jessica said “we decided we were going to talk about women's sports, and we decided we were going to be pretty in your face about it.”
That quote says a lot about the power of the show. “Burn It All Down” and their fans, which the hosts have termed their “flamethrowers,” have an edge. “Our flamethrowers are passionate and knowledgeable about the sports industry. They have an emotional response and are quick to defend women’s sports, but they also aren’t afraid to look at them critically and see what needs to be changed,” Jessica said about their diverse audience. “These flamethrowers are able to see things through a feminist, global, and critical lens.”
When talking about some of these critical changes, Amira touched on the podcast’s unique ability to bridge sports and social justice: “We aim to give a space to those who have been pushed out of sports due to finances, race, sexual orientation, gender, or all of the above. Imagine sports beyond what we all have been conditioned to perceive them as. Beyond racism, homophobia, islamophobia, and all of the other things.”
“Burn It All Down” has segments that address the inequalities of the sports industry and the marginalized populations that are affected. The hosts discuss these sensitive topics at their global “fireside chats” and their organized Facebook forums. One of their recent episodes was on black jockeys and their role in the origin of the Kentucky Derby. The hosts also have a segment lead by Shireen Ahmed that hones in on muslim women’s experiences with sports.
Clearly “Burn It All Down” has exposed areas of the sports industry that are rarely - if ever - acknowledged. The hosts and their “flamethrowers” are truly fearless and unapologetic. As Jessica said, they are “in your face about it,” and that is what makes what they have built so special.
When talking about the goals they had for “Burn It All Down” when they started their adventure, Amira and Jessica both teared up. “Our goal was always to improve the industry and connect with people. When I look back at the past four years, we've done that. And those changes have helped us grow.”
“Burn It All Down” is a great example of how community is everything. If you have the right messages and the right people - or rather “flamethrowers” - supporting you, the sparks you can ignite are limitless.