Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan revealed last week that he and the Jordan Brand are donating $100 million over the next 10 years to organizations dedicated to ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education.

Jordan’s move comes as protests by the Black Lives Matter movement have ramped up across the nation, following the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. Following Floyd’s death in late May—where Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds—the notoriously apolitical Jordan decided it was time to take a stand.

“I am deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry,” Jordan said in a statement. “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 NBA Hall-of-Famer and UNC legend once said during his illustrious playing career with the Chicago Bulls that he shied away from making political statements because “Republicans buy shoes too.”

With Jordan now the owner of the Charlotte Hornets and the face of Nike’s Jordan Brand, his stance has started to change in a big way. He previously donated $1 million in 2016 to the Institute for Community-Police Relations and $1 million to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to help build trust between blacks and law enforcement.

“Jordan Brand is us, the black community,” the company said in a statement following this most recent donation. “Jordan Brand is more than one man. It has always been a family. We represent a proud family that has overcome obstacles, fought against discrimination in communities worldwide and that works every day to erase the stain of racism and the damage of injustice.”

While the money will go a long way in helping this cause, Craig Williams—the president of the Jordan Brand—said in his own statement that, “There is still more work for us to do to drive real impact for the Black Community. We embrace the responsibility.”

 

 

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Photo via Associated Press

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