Netflix To Support Black Creators, Business Owners With $5 Million

Some of the beneficiaries include Ghetto Film School, Black Public Media and Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp.

The subscription-video company announced donations of an initial $3 million, with more to come.

Netflix chairman and CEO Reed Hastings said in a statement, “Tackling racism and injustice in meaningful ways means creating long-term opportunities for the Black community. The main role we play is through our funding of and member viewing of important content like ‘When They See Us.’

“As an additional step, today we’re committing $5 million to nonprofits dedicated to creating direct opportunities for Black creators, Black youth and Black-owned businesses,” he announced.

On the creator front, Netflix is donating $1.5 million total to Ghetto Film School, Film Independent’s Project Involve, Firelight Media and Black Public Media.

Netflix also is giving $1 million grants to three youth-oriented organizations: Know Your Rights Camp, the Posse Foundation and Black Girls Code. And the company said it is donating $500,000 to Black-owned businesses “in our own backyard of Los Angeles”; Vermont Slauson Economic Development (VSEDC), a nonprofit group that provides resources to communities in South Los Angeles traditionally underserved by banks, will disperse the grants.

Last month Netflix was among the first media and entertainment companies to announce support for the Black Lives Matter movement after Minneapolis man George Floyd was killed by police, sparking nationwide protests for equality and criminal-justice reform. And last week, the streamer launched a “Black Lives Matter” collection featuring over 45 titles about racial injustice and the experience of Black Americans.

Meanwhile, Netflix said, many of its employees also have been personally donated to Black and racial-justice causes, with the company matching all employee donations at 200%.

AFP