The Boston Celtics are actively joining their players' fight against racial inequality in America.
The Celtics' investor group announced Tuesday it is committing $25 million over the next 10 years to efforts focused on addressing racial injustice and social inequality in the Greater Boston area.
The Celtics are the first team to take such an action since the NBA announced a plan to contribute $300 million over the next 10 years to the NBA Foundation, which will work to spur economic growth in the Black community.
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Boston will commit $5 million in media assets and marketing to support the NBA's efforts, while the remaining $20 million will be devoted to six "pillars" decided upon between owners, players, coaches, front office staff and community leaders.
Here are the six pillars and the specific initiatives the Celtics plan to support, per the team:
Equity in Education
- Creating an early education center for low income families
- Launching a Black History curriculum for students
- Assisting high school students with college readiness
Economic Opportunity and Empowerment
- Providing pro-bono services to minority owned businesses
- Launching Chuck Cooper Fellowship
Equity in Healthcare
- Promoting early detection for health conditions that disproportionally impact communities of color
- Developing a mobile health screening initiative
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement
- Assisting juvenile offenders in workforce development and academic completion opportunities
- Supporting the societal re-entry for formerly incarcerated parents
Breaking Down Barriers & Building Bridges Across Communities
- Expanding The Playbook Initiative, the team’s bias prevention curriculum
- Implementing discrimination and bias dialogue into the Jr. Celtics’ Youth Basketball curriculum
Voting & Civic Engagement
- Promoting voter registration and the importance of voting for national and local elections
It's great to see the Celtics following the lead of their players, as Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum and Enes Kanter among others have tirelessly called attention to racial injustice since the murder of George Floyd in May.
Boston Celtics
"Our goal is to have a direct impact now,” Brown said in a statement Tuesday. "We don’t need to pacify the situation with empty gestures. We need to hold ourselves, the Celtics organization, and the city of Boston accountable.
"Monetary commitment is a great first step, but we need to commit to this process by creating a balance of short and long-term change. The time is now."