Although people like King and Williams are leading the town halls, Rivera said that everyone in the organization “from the front office and players to the ticket sales reps” is invited to be a part of the discussions. Team owner Dan Snyder has donated $250,000 to help start the programs that come out of these meetings.
“These town halls will give our employees a chance to share experiences, build comradery with colleagues they may have not yet crossed paths with and ultimately come up with actionable items that we can do to make our communities safer for people of color.”
In addition to these initiatives, Rivera announced earlier this week that Washington will join the NFL and several other teams by closing team facilities Friday in honor of Juneteenth, which is the annual celebration of the end of slavery in the United States.
In an organization-wide email, Rivera challenged everyone to “take the day to reflect on our discussions this past week and really dive in and do some research to come up with additional ideas that we can implement to improve our community.”
“We have taken the first step as teammates and colleagues and shared our frustrations and experiences,” Rivera wrote. “Now we must put our minds together and take the next step in creating programs to fight this battle right here in the DMV.”
— Follow the Washington Black Engagement Network on Twitter (_@WashingtonBEN), Instagram (washingtonb.e.n) and Facebook (@WashingtonBEN1932)._