Alicia Keys is making a huge move with the latest announcement of her support in launching a $1 Billion fund for Black-owned business.
With the return of the NFL 2020 season, Keys will not only perform at this year’s Kickoff event, but the moment is being highlighted with the league’s contribution to a new $1 billion endowment fund aimed at supporting Black businesses and communities. The new fund follows the current crises that the country has witnessed with the fight for social justice and the fight for criminal justice reform. As systemic racism continues to be an effort that BLM movements have strongly pushed to change; this year alone we’ve seen the highly publicized killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmad Aubrey, and so many others, Keys decided to penn a letter explaining her decision to perform at the NFL’s event.
We are already seeing the blatant injustices that are going on around us. As an artist, I’m always thinking about how can I use my platform to further racial equity. This fund is one of the answers and our goal is to empower Black America through investing in Black businesses, Black investors, institutions, entrepreneurs, schools and banks in a way to create sustainable solutions.
Speaking with Billboard, the Grammy award winning artist says “the idea for the fund came about as a way to help transform the protests and words of solidarity that have poured out in the past months into tangible action and support for the Black community, and for it to go beyond just a one-time charitable donation to continue to grow and develop over the years with the goal extending beyond the initial $1 billion endowment.”
Check out Alicia Keys’ special NFL video clip below!
