Minneapolis Sports Franchises Commit To Bringing Social Justice

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — As voices raging against social and racial injustice have become amplified across the country since George Floyd’s death, Minneapolis’ professional sports franchises and athletes have joined the chorus in recent days, vowing to help drive change.

On Wednesday, the family that owns the Twins became the latest to take action by donating $25 million toward racial justice. The financial commitment is part of a two-phase initiative that begins with assisting in the rebuilding effort of areas impacted by the violent protests and rioting that took place in Minneapolis following Floyd’s death.

In addition to working with local government agencies and community groups to help area businesses rebuild, the Pohlad family committed, through the foundation, to partner with other organizations to help bring sweeping systematic change against systems that create racial inequities and marginalize people of color.

"Black people have experienced oppression and racism for far too long in this country," Bill Pohlad, president of the Pohlad Family Foundation, said in a news release issued by the Twins on Wednesday. "We condemn racism in all its forms, and we are firmly committed to helping to enact meaningful change. We know this will take time and effort, and we are committed to this work beyond this seminal moment in our country's history."

The Pohlad Family Foundation has already been working in the region to address housing stability needs and homelessness, but it will now turn its attention to support solutions that, foundation officials said, will support the input of “of those closest to the issue and address their greatest needs.”

That work, Pohlad said, includes a commitment to bringing more diversity and working to strengthen inclusion within the Twins organization.

"While we are determined to help affect change in our community, we also know that any real change must start from within," Pohlad said.

On Wednesday, Vikings’ ownership donated $5 million to fight racial injustice and racism in the days after co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson and six Vikings players established the George Floyd Legacy Scholarship. The scholarship created following Floyd’s death and will provide $5,000 per year for a Twin Cities high school graduate pursuing a college education.

The Vikings announced that the $5 million donation will be used in efforts around the country to fight social injustice as efforts continue to do the same around the Twin Cities. That effort has hit home for Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, who teared up during an emotional video conference call with reporters on Wednesday and that included Vikings players and executives.

Spielman spoke of how one of his adopted sons was pulled over by police while he was driving Spielman’s wife car and was forced to call home to prove that the car belonged to Michele Spielman.

When I’m able to go out in the community with my wife and we have our kids with us, they see a whole different world,” Spielman said on the video call. “But when they go out on their own, one of my sons gets pulled over because he’s driving my wife’s car that’s a really nice car. And he gets pulled over because of the color of his skin. To think that black man can’t be driving that car, he must’ve stolen that car. … I struggle to try to explain to our kids why they have to live in two different worlds.”

Vikings CEO Andrew Miller said on the call that the organization is committed to making a difference in bringing change to several aspects of society where racial inequity is taking place. That includes law enforcement, Miller said, at a time when the team is contemplating its working relationship with the Minneapolis Police Department.

“We’re trying to understand the different perspectives that people have, and trying to make the best decision possible,” Miller said on the video teleconference. “There’s complexities to any relationship, and ultimately we want to do what’s best for our organization and for our fans.”

While the Twins and Vikings have made financial commitments to the cause, the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Lynx recently announced that they will join a partnership with the Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks in a “Team Up For Change” initiative that hopes to impact systematic change and racial injustice. The initiative was launched in 2018 after incidents of racial inequity took place in Milwaukee and in Sacramento.

Team Up For Change will produce a public service announcement that will include Timberwolves players Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Josh Okogie and Lynx players Rachel Banham, Lexie Brown and Karima Christmas-Kelly. The PSA also includes Timberwolves and Lynx coaches and front office staff.

The partnership comes after the city’s two basketball teams announced another partnership with the Minneapolis Foundation. This effort, the teams announced, will “champion” the further violence and address systemic inequities.

“By partnering with the Kings and Bucks for Team Up for Change, we are committed to using our shared resources to inspire action. We will work together to promote inclusion and empower our communities to be a voice of meaningful change,” Timberwolves and Lynx CEO Ethan Casson said in a news release.

The NHL’s Minnesota Wild was among dozens of sports franchises who issued statements devoting to driving change since Floyd’s death. But several Wild players, including Zach Parise and Matt Dumba have dedicated themselves to using their platform to bring further awareness for the need for social justice.

Dumba is part of a small group of current and former NHL players that have created the Hockey Diversity Alliance, which has dedicated itself to eradicating racism and intolerance in hockey.

Dumba, along with former Wild players Chris Stewart and Joel Ward, will serve on the group’s executive committee. Dumba, whose father is white and whose mother is of Filipino decent, said in an interview with the team’s website that while the goal of the HDA initiative is to bring diversity to hockey and to move away from many of the racial injustices that have taken place within the game, the real effort must come at a very grassroots level.

"If we can make (hockey) more diverse, and include these kids so they can learn about hockey and not feel like an outcast, I think that would be so cool," Dumba said in the interview. "We can tap into a group of kids that I know, and I hope, can share the same love for the game that I do."