[Social Change Fund]
Khris Middleton: “I am proud to be a part of the Social Change Fund and honored to be surrounded by men and women committed to fighting racism and police brutality.”
Photo: YouTube
WNBA and NBA superstars Candace Parker, CJ McCollum, Donovan Mitchell, and Khris Middleton have joined the Social Change Fund, it was announced Friday by co-founders Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Dwyane Wade.
Launched in July, the Social Change Fund is dedicated to investing in and supporting organizations that maximize impact and advocate for communities of color through long-term policy solutions, community representation, and narrative change.
McCollum, Mitchell, Middleton, and Parker have been appointed to its Executive Council, where they will dedicate their expertise, reach, and resources to further the Fund’s mission.
Parker shared, “The Social Change Fund’s dedication to impacting and advocating for communities of color and affecting real change is something that was instilled in me by my parents from day one. Now more than ever, is the time for us to not only talk about the changes we wish to see, but to act upon them to ensure future generations have resources to empower and amplify their voices so they can be the leaders of today and tomorrow.”
“I am honored to join the Social Change Fund alongside an amazing group of people that share similar morals and beliefs as myself,” said Mitchell. “We’re really coming together as a collective unit to amplify our voices and combine all of our resources to create the most change for communities of color and to build a better future for our youth. With my mom being a teacher, the importance of education has been instilled in me from an early age. I’m passionate about providing educational resources within underserved Black communities and creating after-school programs to keep kids off the street and in the classroom. I truly believe being taught on a level playing field is the key to generational success to push past systemic racism and voter suppression.”
“I am proud to serve on the Executive Council for the Social Change Fund and am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with this incredible group of powerful changemakers to create meaningful progress in communities of color” said McCollum. “There are significant barriers that people of color face in this country and, simply put, our communities deserve better. I’m ready to get to work, using the collective voices, platforms, and resources of this group to have a lasting impact on the communities that mean so much to all of us.”
“I am proud to be a part of the Social Change Fund and honored to be surrounded by men and women committed to fighting racism and police brutality,” said Middleton. “I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina which at one point was one of the biggest slave ports in America. I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin which is often called the most segregated city in the United States. The history of those two cities built me, and inspired me to create the Middleton Family Foundation as a means to use my platform to fight for equality at every level. At the Social Change Fund we are working together to create meaningful change for the people who need it most.”
The Social Change Fund primarily focuses on critical issues including public safety and criminal justice reform, empowering communities of color by expanding access to voting and civic engagement, increasing Black representation in leadership, and building economic equity for Black people through investment in education, employment, wages, and housing.
The Social Change Fund will continue to add advisors, beneficiaries, and community organizations, to impact all of the Fund’s priorities. Grants will be administered through the Social Change Fund’s 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a Charity Navigator Four Star Charity that meets all 20 Better Business Bureau charity standards and carries the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency.
For information on the Social Change Fund and to donate, visit https://www.thesocialchangefund.org/ Instagram and Twitter: @Socialchangefnd
ABOUT CANDACE PARKER
Candace Parker was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, following a championship career at Tennessee where she led the Lady Vols to consecutive NCAA championships in 2007 and 2008. Parker became the first player to earn WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season, and she was named Finals MVP after leading the Sparks to the 2016 WNBA Title. Parker’s honors include three WNBA All-Star nods, the 2013 WNBA All-Star Game MVP Award, and six All-WNBA selections. She also led Team USA to gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. In addition to playing in the WNBA and being one of the most influential female athletes of this generation, Parker is a rising broadcasting star for Turner, covering the NBA and the NCAA tournament, and a single mother to her beautiful daughter Lailaa, who is 11 years old.
ABOUT CJ MCCOLLUM
The 2016 Most Improved Player of the Year and a 2018 Western Conference Player of the Week, CJ McCollum is one of the most electric shooters in professional basketball. His offensive prowess paired with his contagious charisma has quickly transformed him into a league wide fan favorite. Off the court, CJ is a journalist and philanthropist as he focuses his efforts on hosting the top-rated basketball podcast, “Pull-Up with CJ McCollum” and paying it forward through his community initiatives in Portland and his hometown of Canton, Ohio. He continues to inspire aspiring journalists through “CJ’s Press Pass”, a journalism-based mentorship program that provides one-of-a-kind opportunities for students looking to get involved in the media. He also works with local Boys & Girls Clubs in Portland to develop “CJ McCollum Dream Centers”, which are innovative learning rooms that are meant to provide a safe space for underserved youth to learn, explore, create, and grow.
ABOUT KHRIS MIDDLETON
Two-time NBA All-Star, Khris Middleton is a composed, versatile, and reliable impact player on both ends of the court. A playmaker and veteran leader for the Milwaukee Bucks, Middleton has a knack for stepping up and helping others, whether his teammates or his community. Warm and compassionate, he spends time away from the court organizing his annual community events like his signature 12 Days of Khrismas initiative in December, and his youth basketball camps in the summer. Extremely family oriented, Khris’ grandmother, a retired principal, instilled the value of education. In 2017 Khris announced a million-dollar donation to his formed high school to directly fund scholarships for Black students. Naturally entrepreneurial, Middleton works intentionally to support Black businesses across the country, including opening LA based Beauty supply store BEAUTYBEEZ with his sister last year. In 2019 Khris formed the Middleton Family Foundation to support underserved communities.
ABOUT DONOVAN MITCHELL
Following his college career at the University of Louisville, Donovan Mitchell was drafted 13th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. During his breakout rookie season for the Utah Jazz, Mitchell led his team to the second round of the NBA playoffs, was unanimously selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, named ESPY’s Best Breakthrough Athlete of the year, and took home the 2018 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest title. Mitchell was selected as a 2020 Western Conference NBA All-Star. Recently, Mitchell became just the third player in NBA history to score at least 50 points more than once in the same playoff series, joining Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson. Founded in 2019 by Donovan Mitchell and his mother, Nicole Mitchell, SPIDACARES is a non-profit foundation with the mission to foster and promote education, the physical well-being and mental health, ethical character, confidence and good sportsmanship of children across many communities. SPIDACARES provides athletic and educational resources as well as grants and scholarships to students and teachers.
ABOUT THE SOCIAL CHANGE FUND
The Social Change Fund, founded by Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Dwyane Wade, was established to invest in and support organizations focused on empowering communities of color and advocating for the human rights of all Black lives through the lens of policy solutions, community representation and narrative change. At launch, the Social Change Fund will support critical and timely issues impacting the Black community including ending police brutality and championing criminal justice reform, economic equity, voting and civic engagement. All donations are tax-deductible through the Social Change Fund’s 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). EIF is a Charity Navigator Four-Star Charity that meets all 20 Better Business Bureau charity standards and carries the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency.
