A $1 million grant from the Black Community Commitment made by basketball legend Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand will boost the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting’s efforts to increase diversity in the field of investigative journalism with outreach efforts aimed at aspiring young journalists of color.
The grant, announced in May, will enable the Society to expand its college internship partnerships, build a summer journalism program at a historically Black North Carolina college, and launch a yearlong high school journalism project at a majority Black and Latino public high school in that state.
Investigative reporting is the most important reporting in our democracy,” Society co-founder Nikole Hannah-Jones said. “It’s the reporting that holds power accountable, that unearths the way it’s wielded, that tells the stories that people don’t want told. Our democracy is in crisis as politicians are advancing a wave of voter suppression laws across the country and journalists must step up to be the firewall for our democracy. That makes the work we do as a Society and the substantial support of Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand so critical in this moment.”
“It’s critical that students of color in high school and college understand that the world of investigative reporting needs their intellect,” Society co-founder Topher Sanders said. “This grant will make that possible and help change the face of investigative reporting.”
“This grant will help the Society create a pipeline of talent for the media industry that is reflective of the country we live in,” Society co-founder Ron Nixon said. “That pipeline of diverse talent is a potent force for combating racial injustice in this country.”
Read more about the donation and how we will use it here.
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