Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand have announced a $2.5 million donation toward fighting Black voter suppression, CNN reports.
Releasing a statement on the Nike website on July 29, the 57-year-old NBA legend said: "I'm all in with Jordan Brand, the Jordan family and our partners, who share a commitment to address the historical inequality that continues to plague Black communities in the US."
Speaking about the importance of voting within the black community, Jordan continued:
"There is a long history of oppression against Black Americans that holds us back from full participation in American society.
"We understand that one of the main ways we can change systemic racism is at the polls. We know it will take time for us to create the change we want to see, but we are working quickly to take action for the Black community’s voice to be heard."
In an effort to bring change, the Jordan Brand announced that it will be donating a total of $2.5 million to three initial partners dedicated to fighting Black voter suppression.
The statement said that the "partners were selected based on their ability to take action that can create impact now."
The donations were split, with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) and the Formerly Incarcerated & Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM) receiving $1 million each, and an additional $500,000 was donated to Black Voters Matter.
The statement added that the money donated will be used "to support reformative practices that drive real change in the Black community".
Back on June 5, Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand pledged $100 million over the next 10 years for causing fighting against systemic racism as a direct response to the Black Lives Matter protests.
Per a statement by the company, these donations will focus on three priority areas: Social Justice, Economic Justice, and Education and Awareness.
The statement read: "The Jordan Brand is us, the Black Community. The 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.
"The will, the work, the excellence the world has come to know is the result of one generation after another, pouring their dreams into the next." The statement continues: "It's 2020, and our family now includes anyone who aspires to our way of life. Yet as much as things have changed, the worst remains the same.
"Black lives matter. This isn't a controversial statement. 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.
"Today, we are announcing that Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand will be donating $100 million over the next 10 years to organizations dedicated to ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education."
Speaking about the initial pledge, Craig Williams, the President of Jordan Brand, has said: "The $100 million commitment was just the start. We are moving from commitment to action. Our initial partners can directly impact the social and political well-being of the Black community.
"We will have a disciplined focus on social justice, economic justice and education, as the most effective ways for us to eliminate the systemic racism that remains in society."
