Megan Rapinoe believes athletes have a 'responsibility' to speak about social issues and believes all white people should call for greater equality.
The 36-year-old US star is a big advocate for equal rights and spoke to Professor Cathy Park Hong about the topic on a livestream.
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Rapinoe, who has fought for equal pay in recent years, thanked her for 'continuing the education we as white Americans so desperately need' on the broadcast.
She said per RT Sport: "I try to spend less of my time explaining myself to the people in charge of the problems that I want to change and more on people who are working to dismantle.
"It revs me up too much, so I try to focus on the people who are working with me on solutions and are going to challenge me - not just people who are likeminded, I don't think that feedback loop is positive.
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"But people who are fully respecting me as a human and then can come back with constructive criticism and can come back and check me, but also we're working together for a common goal. That is something that gives me life.
"A little bit of it is just natural; I have a little bit of an energy for it.
"Whether it's gay rights or pay rights or women's equity, I'm also incredibly privileged so I feel like it is a responsibility or a way to balance out my privilege.
"I feel like I'm being discriminated against when it comes to my salary and my compensation, but I also am a famous athlete so I can call the New York Times and I can call the Washington Post.
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"That's not normal for the majority of women who are dealing with pay discrepancy so I feel like it's my responsibility in doing that, in balancing out the incredible privilege that I have."
Rapinoe has been embroiled in a bitter feud with former US President Donald Trump since her rise to prominence.
Trump accused the US women's national team of supporting "woke politics" and "wokeism" after some of the players took the knee ahead at Tokyo 2020.
Rapinoe continued: 'The "most marginalized' people should be 'in charge of moving forward'.
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"Particularly for white people, I really do think it's on us to defer to leadership of people who are marginalized and are traditionally cut out of all these stories, to not just lead but to fill in the story.
"We have such a small understanding and narrow view of even what the history of America is - which, if you really think about it, is pretty gross in a lot of way. It's pretty destructive and violent and hateful in many ways."
Featured Image Credit: PA ImagesTopics: Football, Megan Rapinoe