Michael Jordan is donating $2 million to help community-police relations.
In a statement released to The Undefeated, the NBA legend announced that he will donate $1 million to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and another $1 million to the International Association of Chiefs of Police's Institute for Community-Police Relations.
Jordan shared a personal story about his father, who was murdered in 1993 during a robbery. "As a proud American, a father who lost his own dad in a senseless act of violence, and a Black man, I have been deeply troubled by the deaths of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement and angered by the cowardly and hateful targeting and killing of police officers," Jordan wrote in the statement released to The Undefeated.
Jordan shared a personal story about his father, who was murdered in 1993 during a robbery. "As a proud American, a father who lost his own dad in a senseless act of violence, and a Black man, I have been deeply troubled by the deaths of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement and angered by the cowardly and hateful targeting and killing of police officers," Jordan wrote in the statement released to The Undefeated.
"I grieve with the families who have lost loved ones, as I know their pain all too well."
Jordan's pronouncement, which doesn't mention the Black Lives Matter movement specifically, calls for Americans to bridge the divide between law enforcement and civilians, including the Black community. "Although I know these contributions alone are not enough to solve the problem, I hope the resources will help both organizations make a positive difference," Jordan wrote of his donations.
"I know this country is better than that, and I can no longer stay silent," Jordan added. "We need to find solutions that ensure people of color receive fair and equal treatment AND that police officers — who put their lives on the line every day to protect us all — are respected and supported."
To read Jordan's full statement, head over to The Undefeated.