Yesterday, reports of donations to BLM causes from the likes of Supreme, Kanye West, The Pokémon Company and more surfaced in response to the unrest caused by the killing of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police Department. Today, NIKE, Inc., the parent company of the NIKE, Jordan, and Converse brands, has announced its commitment to the cause.
NIKE, Inc. announced a $40 million commitment over the next four years to support the Black community in the United States. This commitment will be focused on investing in and supporting organizations that put social justice, education and addressing racial inequality in America at the center of their work.
“Systemic racism and the events that have unfolded across America over the past few weeks serve as an urgent reminder of the continued change needed in our society. We know Black Lives Matter. We must educate ourselves more deeply on the issues faced by Black communities and understand the enormous suffering and senseless tragedy racial bigotry creates,” said John Donahoe, President and CEO of NIKE, Inc. “The NIKE, Inc. family can always do more but will never stop striving to role model how a diverse company acts. We will continue our focus on being more representative of our consumers while doing our part in the communities we serve.”
This additional $40 million builds upon the NIKE, Inc. family’s long history of providing support to the communities in which they operate in. See Nike’s official statement here.
They should also use 40 million to improve the wages in the sweatshops of the employees that make their products . That would be commendable as well