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Michael Jordan's Jordan Brand has donated $1 million to the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting. Created in 2016, the society trains investigative journalists of color at the University of North Carolina’s School of Journalism and Media. As the organization celebrates its fifth anniversary, it will use Jordan's $1 million donation to create a summer journalism program at an HBCU in North Carolina. Also, Jordan Brand will help create a high school journalism project geared toward Black and Latino students.
“Investigative reporting is the most important reporting in our democracy,” Ida B. Wells Society Co-Founder Nikole Hannah-Jones said in a press statement.
“It’s the reporting that holds power accountable, that unearths the way it’s wielded, that tells the stories that people don’t want to be told. Our democracy is in crisis as politicians are advancing a wave of voter suppression laws across the country and journalists must step up to be the firewall for our democracy. That makes the work we do as a Society and the substantial support of Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand so critical in this moment.”
Jordan and the Jordan Brand have never shied away from donating funds that will support change-making organizations. In 2020, the brand committed $100 million to organizations fighting against racism and socioeconomic inequality. Earlier this year, he also donated $1 million to Morehouse College.
“Our Jordan Brand family is driven by a promise to create a future bigger than ourselves,” Jordan Brand President Craig Williams said.
“The work of the Ida B. Wells Society has common roots in our Black Community Commitment, reframing stories from the community, opening up new spaces of access and inspiration, and advancing social justice. We look forward to supporting young, diverse talent, and helping to change the landscape for investigative journalism.”
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