Michael Jordan’s $100 million commitment for George Floyd’s cause revealed

Michael Jordan is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. Despite this status, he doesn’t necessarily make himself available under the spotlight in his post-NBA life.

However, during Nike’s “Path to Progress” ceremony on Feb. 21, 2024, Jordan Brand president Sarah Mensah shared the details of the $100M commitment letter by Michael Jordan for George Floyd’s cause.

It read:

“It truly saddens me that we are living in an increasingly divided world, filled with anger, distrust and misinformation. … This is heavy and hard work. Change does not happen overnight. I’m proud to support the efforts of our Black Community Commitment grantees and our Jordan family members who are out spreading the love in their communities.”

Michael Jordan’s commitment letter to George Floyd’s cause can be seen as personal and heartfelt, along with a clear vision of helping his community. His words came from a place of disappointment in the current state of the world while remaining hopeful of changes and counter-actions taking place.

Michael Jordan’s $100 million pledge to help the black community

It has been four years since the unfortunate passing of George Floyd. In the incident that shook the Black Community, Jordan made an important promise in the fulfillment of the $100M commitment back then. The 2024 ‘Path to Progress’ event was the first time the NBA legend’s letter was shared publicly.

Originally, Nike announced its plan on a $40 million commitment in support of the Black Community across the United States under a four-year plan. However, Michael Jordan felt like the number wasn’t enough and decided to devote an additional $100 million to the Jordan Brand with the $50 million personally coming from the Chicago Bulls legend himself.

In an interview with Andscape’s Aaron Dodson, Jordan Brand Vice President Melanie Harris understood how important it was for Nike to make a stand against racial injustice and the role MJ has played in it.

“MJ is all in,” Harris said. “And he really takes his ability to have an individual impact seriously. As general manage of Jordan, I have a responsibility to protect the brand’s legacy. But, at the end of the day, it’s Michael’s name. … He believes in the impact and responsibility that he personally has. And that inspires all of us who work on the brand.”

It was important for Jordan to make the move himself for the rest of his team to follow in on the good cause.