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In the wake of the George Floyd protests, Nike Inc. committed $40 million to supporting the Black community on behalf of Nike, Jordan Brand, and Converse. Immediately after, Jordan Brand and Michael Jordan, himself, committed an additional $100 million to the cause. Now, in an update, the company is being transparent about the money they’ve spent so far and their strategy in supporting the Black community moving forward.
From Nike News:
“In picking the initial partners for the commitments, [Senior Director of Inclusive Community for Social & Community Impact, Karol] Collymore, along with an internal NIKE, Inc. team led by Craig Williams, president of Jordan Brand, asked where and how the company could be most effective. ‘We thought, ‘How do we want to show up? And not just in this moment, but over time?’ Collymore says. That meant thinking about how systemic issues affect communities, and the organizations that could move the needle. The NIKE, Inc. and Jordan Brand partnerships reflect the crucial work to be done in social justice, and the laws around voting access; economic empowerment and providing financial literacy, job training and support; and education innovation beyond mainstream schooling, and focusing on science, technology, engineering and math — subjects where youth often get left behind.”
In a chart, Nike reveals it donated $5.5 million to organizations like the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Black Girls Code, the National Urban League, and more. Nike also donated another $2.75 million to “37 local organizations across New York City, Portland, Los Angeles, Memphis, Boston, St. Louis, and Chicago.”
As for Jordan Brand and MJ’s $100 million, $2.5 million have gone to NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Formerly Incarcerated & Convicted People and Families Movement, and Black Votes Matter. Plus, another $5 million was also “awarded through Education and Awareness Grants to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History & Culture, Morehouse College, and the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting.”
“This year of work was galvanizing,” Collymore said, “and went far beyond monetary commitments. We can’t solve systemic racism alone, but we can certainly make an impact. We know the power that we have, and our responsibility to wield it.”
Stay tuned.
