Colin Kaepernick Puts Money Where His Mouth Is

Advancement Project is one of last organizations to receive portion of $1 million donation from former football player, social justice advocate

January 18, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC — Advancement Project’s national office is excited to announce that it is one of the final recipients of Colin Kaepernick’s $1 million in 10 months pledge to local and national advocacy organizations. Kaepernick, professional football player and social justice advocate, decided to announce a winner a day over a 10-day period which began January 17. He awarded the Advancement Project’s national office on January 18, and Kaepernick’s gift was matched by Advancement Project Board Member, actor and advocate Jesse Williams of “Grey’s Anatomy.” Advancement Project’s national office will use the donation to continue its 19-year-old mission to achieve racial justice and specifically to support its efforts to achieve police accountability.

“We are grateful for Jesse and Colin’s support of our work. From the beginning, we supported Colin Kaepernick’s peaceful #TakeAKnee protest, which underscored the need for police reform, a focus of our work.” said Judith Browne Dianis, executive director of Advancement Project’s national office.

“This partnership is a perfect fit for the work we have been doing across the country supporting communities of color as they demand an end to unjust over-policing and over-criminalization.”

Williams, a member of Advancement Project’s board of directors, and good friend of Kaepernick, has protested publically against police brutality and racism.

“I’m incredibly proud of the diligent and effective work done by Advancement Project and am glad to bring Colin in to join the fight at this level,” said Williams. “Amidst all the work we do around school-to-prison pipeline, voter suppression, school pushouts and policing, we’re pressing with an even firmer hand on police accountability measures, including more practical trainings for officers and organizers”

“We are all fighting the same struggle for full citizenship, and I couldn’t ask for better partners than Colin and our team at Advancement Project,” continued Williams.

Kaepernick pledged to give $100,000 every month for 10 months to organizations tackling issues of the modern civil rights movement: ending the school-to-prison pipeline, policing reform, equal education and justice for Black and Brown lives. Additional organizations that received grants over the last 10 months include Mothers Against Police Brutality and Communities United for Police Reform.

Today’s donation comes on the heels of the Advancement Project national office’s efforts to bring together celebrities, athletes and artists during NBA All-star Weekend next month to address the impact of unjust policing practices on communities of color. Advancement Project’s national office works on the ground to assist grassroots organizations around the country with organizing, litigation and communication strategies in the areas of policing, voting rights, immigrant justice, education equity and other injustices. The organization also works on national issues and is currently circulating a petition to censure Donald Trump.

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Advancement Project is a multi-racial civil rights organization. Founded by a team of veteran civil rights lawyers in 1999, Advancement Project was created to develop and inspire community-based solutions based on the same high-quality legal analysis and public education campaigns that produced the landmark civil rights victories of earlier eras.

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