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May 28 (UPI) -- NBA great Michael Jordan and Nike's Jordan Brand are donating $1 million to Morehouse College to enhance journalism and sports-related studies at the school. The pledge, which was announced Friday, will help boost Morehouse's Journalism and Sports Program that was initially launched with a donation from director and actor Spike Lee.
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In a statement, the school said Jordan's donation will help fund scholarships, technology and educational programming for students in those fields.
"Morehouse is grateful to Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand for an investment in the education of talented men of color who will ensure there is equity, balance, and truth in the way sports stories are framed and the way the Black experience is contextualized within American history," said Monique Dozier, vice president for institutional advancement at Morehouse.
The $1 million donation is part of a larger philanthropic initiative by Jordan and Jordan Brand called the Black Community Commitment, which has directed funds to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Ida B. Wells Society, among other organizations.
"Education is crucial for understanding the Black experience today," Jordan said in a news release. "We want to help people understand the truth of our past and help tell the stories that will shape our future."
Morehouse's Journalism and Sports Program, which has focused on the lack of Black leaders in sports journalism and athletics, has produced more than 80 graduates who now work in the media and sports fields.
Lee, who graduated from Morehouse in 1979, said there will be a "rich legacy of storytellers who will be supported by these programs."
"Many people are influenced to think a certain way about Black folks based on what they see on television and in Hollywood. We've got to tell our story," Lee said.
