Basketball legend Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand announced Friday they are contributing grants to three institutions, including Morehouse College to expand its Journalism & Sports Marketing academic program.
The historically Black college in Atlanta will receive $1 million. The Morehouse program has educated and developed more than 600 students from the college and the Atlanta University Center, producing more than 80 graduates who now work in media and sports and almost 40 graduates who have earned master’s degrees in those fields.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. will receive $3 million. The Ida B. Wells Society at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Jordan’s alma mater, will receive $1 million. The society was founded in 2015 to raise awareness of, and opportunities for, investigative reporting among journalists of color and to uphold accountability reporting about racial injustice.
“Education is crucial for understanding the Black experience today,” Jordan 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.”
Jordan announced plans last year to donate $100 million over 10 years to directly impact the fight against systemic racism. The retired star, now majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, wants to focus on three areas: education and awareness, economic justice and social justice. Jordan said he wanted to focus on ways to improve the way Black stories are told, expanding sports journalism education and opportunity for students at historically Black colleges and universities.
“Morehouse is grateful to Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand for 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,” said Monique Dozier, vice president for institutional advancement at Morehouse.
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