NBA: Legend Jordan breaks silence in support of African-Americans and police
The well-documented violence of the last month has caused Michael Jordan to do something he doesn’t usually do: speak out on a social issue roiling the country.
Jordan, whose father, James, was shot to death during a roadside robbery in 1993, decried the killing of blacks by police as well as the targeting and shooting of police officers, writing in a statement to ESPN’s The Undefeated that he knows the pain of families “all too well.”
The hall of fame owner of the Charlotte Hornets and billionaire businessman writes:
“As a proud American, a father who lost his own dad in a senseless act of violence, and a black man, I have been deeply troubled by the deaths of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement and angered by the cowardly and hateful targeting and killing of police officers. I grieve with the families who have lost loved ones, as I know their pain all too well.
“I was raised by parents who taught me to love and respect people regardless of their race or background, so I am saddened and frustrated by the divisive rhetoric and racial tensions that seem to be getting worse as of late. I know this country is better than that, and I can no longer stay silent. We need to find solutions that ensure people of colour receive fair and equal treatment AND that police officers — who put their lives on the line every day to protect us all — are respected and supported.”
Jordan goes on to say that he is donating $1 million (U.S.) each to two charities: the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s newly established Institute for Community-Police Relations and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. “Although I know these contributions alone are not enough to solve the problem,” he writes, “I hope the resources will help . . . make a positive difference.”
Over the years, Jordan has chosen to stay silent or to issue statements through his publicist, as he did concerning the NBA all-star game the Hornets were to host in 2017. Last week, NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced that the game would be moved because of the state’s “bathroom law.”
Jordan was famously quoted as saying that he didn’t support Harvey Gantt because “Republicans buy sneakers, too,” but a spokeswoman for him denied that he ever said that.