Basketball legend Michael Jordan is putting the focus on empowering the next generation of leaders who will shape the world of sports journalism. According to ESPN, he recently teamed up with Nike’s Jordan Brand to donate $1 million to Morehouse College.
The endowment will go towards the creation of scholarships, programming and digital tools for the Atlanta-based institution’s program that sits at the intersection of sports and storytelling. The donation is part of a larger social justice-centered effort being led by Jordan and the Jordan Brand to address systemic racism and empower the Black community. Jordan says he believes the $1 million gift will be instrumental in helping empower students to use journalism as a vessel to control their own narratives. “Education is crucial for understanding the Black experience today,” he said in a statement. “We want to help people understand the truth of our past and help tell the stories that will shape our future.” Monique Dozier, who serves as Morehouse’s Vice President for Institutional Advancement, added the endowment is “an investment in the education of talented men of color who will ensure there is equity, balance, and truth in the way sports stories are framed and the way the Black experience is contextualized within American history.”
Morehouse’s Journalism and Sports Program was launched with the support of renowned filmmaker Spike Lee. Over 80 graduates from the program have gone on to have careers in the realm of sports media.
Whether through education or fighting for equity in healthcare, Jordan has used his resources and platform to empower underrepresented and underserved communities. In April, he unveiled a $1 million initiative to provide grassroots organizations dedicated to fighting racial injustice with grants. Amongst the organizations that received donations were Black Voter Matters, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Formerly Incarcerated & Convicted People and Families Movement.
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