The National Basketball Association has issued another $3 million grant with the hopes of economically empowering marginalized communities. The grant will benefit the following organizations: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami, Road To Hire, Center for Leadership Development, New Heights Youth, City Year, CodeCrew, The Collective Blueprint, Braven, City Year and NAF. However, it is unclear how much each individual organization will receive.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami has already laid out a plan for how they will use their grant. The nonprofit group will put the money towards to develop a workplace mentoring group. Through the program, young kids of color will be paired with mentors who provide career advice while letting them see their workplace.
“This funding ensures that boardrooms and the workforce are diverse and representative,” Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami President Gale Nelson told Fortune.
The latest round of grants is part of a larger league-wide commitment known as the NBA Foundation. Following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others, the league issued a statement pledging their commitment to improving Black communities around the country.
“I spent the weekend watching the protests around the country over the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. As a league, we share the outrage and offer our sincere condolences to their families and friends. Just as we are fighting a pandemic, which is impacting communities and people of color more than anyone else, we are being reminded that there are wounds in our country that have never healed," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.
“Racism, police brutality and racial injustice remain part of everyday life in America and cannot be ignored. At the same time, those who serve and protect our communities honorably and heroically are again left to answer for those who don’t.”
The NBA has now made a $300 commitment towards to improving Black communities over the the course of 10 years. Thus far, the league has issued two rounds of grants through the foundation.
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