The NFL is committing $250 million to fight racism in America

The NFL is starting a $250 million fund to combat racism and systematic oppression in America.

On Friday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stunned many.

In an 81-second video, Goodell publicly acknowledging the league was wrong for not supporting black players sooner, all while saying black lives matter. Now, six days later, the NFL is announcing its next step. Over the next 10 years, the league will donate $250 million to help combat systematic oppression and injustices towards black people.

The NFL is creating a $250 million fund to stop the oppression of black people

For the NFL, this was a critical move. After backing peaceful protests from players for the upcoming season — and perhaps beyond — the league broke from its previous stance of either forcing players to stand during the national anthem, or keeping them in the locker rooms.

While words from Goodell affirming the league’s support were a first step, they would have been hollow without backing. Now, with a quarter of a billion dollars going towards helping people of color fight injustice, the NFL has made a significant contribution.

Some teams are already pitching in as well. The Minnesota Vikings have donated $5 million to help a variety of solace justice causes. The Kansas City Chiefs — led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes and safety Tyrann Mathieu — are launching a voter registration initiative, helping people understand how they can get involved on a basic level.

While the NFL still must do more in both words and actions over the coming days, weeks, months and years, it’s a great start after years of inactivity in this important arena.