A donation of 100 million dollars (around 90 million euros) made to organizations working for racial equality and social justice. This is the announcement made by Michael Jordan, the former NBA star basketball player, the North American championship, in a context marked, in the United States, by a wave of protests caused by the death of George Floyd, a African American, during his arrest.
"Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand will donate $ 100 million over the next 10 years to organizations dedicated to ensuring race equality, social justice and better access to education." This pledge would be the largest ever made by a sports figure to non-profit charitable organizations.
"The worst behaviors persist"
The personal fortune of Jordan, considered the greatest player in NBA history and owner of the franchise, the team, of the Charlotte Hornets, is estimated at $ 2.1 billion (approximately 1.9 billion euros).
The importance of this donation testifies to the emotion aroused by the death of George Floyd, 46, on May 25 in Minneapolis (Minnesota), who has set the country ablaze for ten days with demonstrations turning into clashes. “We are in 2020, and our Jordan family includes everyone who aspires to our way of life. Although a lot has changed, the worst behaviors persist, ”says Jordan.
The slogan "Black Lives Matter " is not a controversial statement. As long as this ingrained racism that causes the bankruptcy of our country's institutions is not completely eradicated, we will continue to commit to protecting and improving the lives of black people, "promises the six-time NBA champion with the Bulls.
Very reluctant during his playing career to speak up to protest against racial or societal problems in the United States, a silence for which he has often been criticized, Jordan expressed his anger last week after the death of Floyd , joining the choir of the very many sportsmen to be indignant.
"We have had enough," he said, saying "alongside those who speak out against racism and violence against people of color in our country". “We must continue peaceful protests against injustice and demand recognition of responsibilities. "
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In the recent documentary “The Last Dance” devoted to the epic of the Bulls in the 1990s, a passage is devoted to the famous reply tinged with cynicism: “The Republicans also buy sneakers”. This sentence, which evokes the republican party and the sneakers that its voters buy, was pronounced by Jordan in a private framework, when it was reproached to him for not supporting the senatorial candidacy of a black democratic candidate vis-a-vis a white republican notorious racist opinions.
In the documentary, Jordan argued that he had never seen himself as a committed athlete. “I congratulate (Editor's note: the boxer) Muhammad Ali for defending his convictions. But I never considered myself an activist. I considered myself a basketball player. "