Basketball icon Micheal Jordan and his Jordan Brand announced recently that they will donate $100 million to social justice groups to promote racial equality.
In a joint statement, Jordan and the Jordan Brand said that the money will be donated over a period of 10 years to organizations “dedicated to ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education.”
Joint Statement from Michael Jordan & Jordan Brand regarding $100m donation. pic.twitter.com/yYXWh5eBZl
— Estee Portnoy (@esteep) June 5, 2020
“The Jordan Brand is us, the Black Community,” the statement said. “Until the ingrained racism that allows our country’s institutions to fail is completely eradicated, we will remain committed to protecting and improving the lives of Black people,” the statement added.
57-year-old Jordan, currently the principal owner of the NBA team Charlotte Hornets, is one of the most renowned and popular NBA players. Instrumental in popularizing the NBA in the world, Jordan, who played for Chicago Bulls, is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
He had, earlier, released a statement on George Floyd and the brutality that the Blacks face at the hands of the police.
“I am deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry,” Jordan said. “I see and feel everyone’s pain, outrage and frustration. I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country. We have had enough.”
The Jordan Brand, which is a subsidiary of the sportswear giant Nike, has also pledged $40 million over four years to support black communities. Earlier, Nike had released an advertisement, tweaking its famous tagline ‘Just Do It’ to ‘Don’t Do It’ to urge people to not turn a blind eye to racism and social injustice.
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