The world’s greatest basketball player (arguably) is making a great move for his community.
It was recently announced via a news release that the legend is allocating $2.3M in community grants to grassroots organizations dedicated to supporting Black people in celebration of his 60th birthday.
The community grantees includes 43 new organizations, along with a re-investment in five organizations that were awarded grants in 2021, including 1Hood Media, Mortar Cincinnati, Love Now Media, Revolution Workshop, and Good Call NYC.
“We believe that these community organizations aren’t just local changemakers, but that they are dreamers, makers of generational bonds, and neighborhood leaders with an authentic understanding of how together they can create transformative change,” says Craig Williams, Jordan Brand President in a news release.
This is among the many philanthropic moves the titan has made.
Along with his Charlotte Hornets team he purchased, Jordan and the Hornets have donated more than $3 million to causes that give back to the community including education, hunger, the military, and wellness as previously reported by ESSENCE. Carolyn Hazeldine of Child Care Resources Inc., one of the organizations that will receive a portion of the $500,000, said, “He’s a local celebrity who can give to a lot of causes, but when he chooses to give to early literacy, it puts a face on the issue, It tells people in the community that this is important.”
Inspired by the notion that movements to create systemic change have limitless potential at the local level, Jordan Community Grants, a program of the Black Community Commitment (a 10-year, $100M joint commitment between Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand), were first given in 2021 and awards one-year grants to organizations leading sustainable solutions in their cities.