It’s been a rough couple of days for a lot of people in this country, to say that very least. For a lot of those people, it’s been rough for a long time before that.
The killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers last week has made the decades-long issue of police brutality and systematic racism reach a boiling point, with protests sparked in cities all over the country, including Dallas.
I cannot even begin to imagine how the black community is feeling, but I do have a platform, no matter how small it is, to help. So Mavs Moneyball is going to help.
If you’re wondering why a basketball blog is posting this, here are some reasons, aside from the fact that it’s, you know, good.
- The Dallas Mavericks have already shown their support through their actions, whether that’s the NBA Coaches Association led by Rick Carlisle or Mark Cuban, Dwight Powell, Jalen Brunson, Justin Jackson and Maxi Kleber showing up at a vigil for Floyd this past weekend in Dallas.
- The entire reason this blog exists is because it covers the Mavericks, a basketball team in the NBA. Breaking news: the NBA is predominately filled with black athletes and is synonymous with black culture. While those of us at Mavs Moneyball don’t necessarily profit from that culture (insert rimshot about SB Nation team site writers/editors being underpaid here), we do have a voice because of that culture and because of that community, even if it isn’t the largest voice around. I have a platform that thousands upon thousands of people read every month and I owe it to that community, that culture. It’s only right.
With that being said, we wanted to amplify some groups and charities that could use your support. Not everyone can protest, especially with a pandemic, so this is a good way to still help.
- Faith in Texas Bail fund — bail money to help free protesters from jail in Dallas county.
- ACLU — American Civil Liberties Union.
- Black Lives Matter
- Campaign Zero — an organization dedicated to ending police brutality in America.
- Know Your Rights Camp — an organization to help black and brown communities.
- NAACP
- National Police Accountability Project
- Reclaim The Block — a Minneapolis-based organization fighting to move money from the police department to other areas of a city’s budget.
- Unicorn Riot — alternative, independent media working to shed light and expose causes of social issues
- Various bail funds — this link allows you to split a single donation across 50+ bail funds across the country, to help release protesters in major cities.
If you’re able, please contribute to any of these places. If not, just be a good voice and ally for your black neighbors. They need all of us now to help.