Zimpapers Logo

LOS ANGELES. — Basketball icon Michael Jordan, long reluctant to speak out on social issues, has condemned violence fueling rising racial tension in America and pledged $2 million toward efforts to build trust.

“I know this country is better than that, and I can no longer stay silent,” Jordan said in a letter released via theundefeated.com, a website backed by ESPN. It was a watershed moment for a superstar who throughout his playing career, in which he led the Chicago Bulls to six National Basketball Association championships between 1991 and 1998, was criticized for his hesitance to wade in on politics. His unexpected move was widely welcomed. “Change happens when one American at a time can no longer stay silent. Thank you Michael Jordan for speaking up!” Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to US President Barack Obama said on Twitter. — AFP.