The 49ers are donating $1 million to organizations "who are creating change" in the United States, team CEO Jed York said Saturday night.
The team is making the gesture amid protests against the death Monday of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd, a black man, died after white former police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck during an arrest for more than eight minutes. The death sparked days of demonstrations, riots and looting across the country.
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"People throughout our country are hurting. Emotions are raw, and rightfully so," York said in a statement posted on Twitter.
— Jed York (@JedYork) May 31, 2020
"Heinous acts have been committed in recent weeks. Before we are able to realize impactful change, we must first have the courage and compassion as human beings to come together and acknowledge the problem: black men, women, children and other oppressed minorities continue to be systematically discriminated against," York added.