Netflix to Donate $5 Million to Organizations Dedicated to Creating Opportunities for Black People

Netflix has pledged to do their part in helping create more opportunities for black people in the U.S. The streaming giant announced they will donate $5 million to organizations, including Ghetto Film School, Black Public Media and Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp, that help black creators, black youth and black-owned businesses in the U.S., according to Variety.

“Tackling racism and injustice in meaningful ways means creating long-term opportunities for the Black community,” Netflix chairman and CEO Reed Hastings said in a statement. “The main role we play is through our funding of and member viewing of important content like ‘When They See Us.’ As an additional step, today we’re committing $5 million to nonprofits dedicated to creating direct opportunities for Black creators, Black youth and Black-owned businesses.”

To support budding creators, Netflix will donate $1.5 million total to Ghetto Film School, Film Independent’s Project Involve, Firelight Media and Black Public Media, Variety reports. The streamer will also donate $1 million grants to three youth-oriented organizations: Know Your Rights Camp, the Posse Foundation and Black Girls Code. In addition, Netflix has pledged to give $500,000 to black-owned businesses in Los Angeles through the nonprofit group Vermont Slauson Economic Development (VSEDC), according to Variety.

Netflix has put forth some efforts to bring awareness to the issue of police brutality and systemic racism. Last week, the streamer surprised viewers when a special from Dave Chappelle debuted on their “Netflix Is a Joke” YouTube Channel. The special addressed the tragic passing of George Floyd at the hands of police enforcement in May.

The streaming giant also launched the Black Lives Matter collection on the platform, where U.S. viewers can watch movies, documentaries and TV series, including Michelle Obama’s “Becoming,” “When They See Us Now,” “Moonlight,” “Dear White People,” and Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods.”

The company has also been pulling racially insensitive content from the platform internationally. The Matt Lucas and David Walliams-helmed sketch show “Little Britain,” as well as its follow-up “Come Fly With Me,” were removed from the service for featuring sketches done in blackface.

The streamer also axed four shows from Australian comic Chris Lilley after questions regarding some of the characters in the show came up. The streamer took down “Angry Boys,” “Summer Heights High,” “We Can Be Heroes” and “Jonah From Tonga” from its Australian and New Zealand libraries because the comic used blackface to portray some of his characters.