JJ Abrams and his production company Bad Robot have pledged to donate $10 million to Black Lives Matter and other anti-racist organizations. Abrams founded Bad Robot in 2001, and the company has since produced several blockbuster films such as the rebooted Star Trek franchise, Super 8, and Mission: Impossible - Fallout. On television, Bad Robot had a hand in shows like Lost and Westworld. Most recently, Abrams and Bad Robot worked on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and they have the series Justice League Dark in the works at HBO Max.
The past week has seen a great deal of unrest in the United States following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer. Protests have sprung up across the country and have since even spread to cities around the world. Numerous celebrities have begun to use their platforms to speak up about the ongoing situation, with some, like Riverdale's Cole Sprouse, even joining some of the protests. Additionally, companies and brands have issued statements indicating they stand with the protesters and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The latest to signal their support is Abrams' Bad Robot, which announced its intention to donate $10 million to various organizations on social media. According to Bad Robot's official statement, the $10 million will be donated over the course of the next five years, with the first installments being set at $200,000. The organizations who will be gaining these donations are Black Futures Lab, Black Lives Matter LA, Community Coalition, Equal Justice Initiative, and Know Your Rights Camp. You can see Bad Robot's post below, as well as their full statement.
We at Bad Robot are grateful to the many scholars, activists, organizers and leaders fighting on the frontlines of change in our systemically unjust country. It is that constellation of thinkers and doers who have the blueprint to a more perfect, fair, equitable and kind union.
In this fragile time, words matter, listening is critical and investment is required.
The centuries long neglect and abuse of our Black brothers and sisters can only be addressed by scalable investment. A massive and thoughtful overhaul of tax policy, one that effectively meets the needs of the many in this country, and not just the few, is long overdue.
Corporate and private philanthropy can never achieve the impact needed to address these systemic inequities, but companies and individuals who are able must do what we can until our political leaders lead.
Between Bad Robot and The Katie McGrath and JJ Abrams Family Foundation, we are committing an additional $10m over the next five years to organizations and efforts committed to anti-racist agendas that close the gaps, lift the poor and build a just America for all.
Bad Robot is hardly the only company to speak out in some way in recent days, and it surely won't be the last. Social media sites like YouTube and Twitter have given their support to the protests, though some question their sincerity. Nonetheless, this is a pivotal moment for the US, and it has brought together people from all walks of life as they seek justice for those affected by police brutality.
Floyd died after a white police offer pinned him to the ground and pressed his knee to Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes straight. The shocking tragedy has stirred up heavy emotions among many; for example, on The Late Late Show with James Cordon, Reggie Watts broke down in tears. While donations like that from Bad Robot certainly help and send a positive message, many are hoping for real change to come from all of this. Only time will tell if it actually will.
Source: Bad Robot/Instagram