Tampa Bay Rowdies midfielder Malik Johnson high-fives with fans before the club's regular season contest against Memphis 901 FC in 2019. | Photo courtesy Matt May / Tampa Bay Rowdies
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The ownership of the USL Championship’s Tampa Bay Rowdies and Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays announced on Tuesday the organization had committed to donating $100,000 per year to “supporting causes in the fight against systemic racism.”
The statement also condemned systemic and institutionalized racism and voiced its support for protestors exercising their civil rights, with marches having been held in both Tampa and St. Petersburg in recent days alongside those around the rest of the United States.
The organization added its committee on Diversity and Inclusion will be responsible for directing the funds available, and it will will identify the organizations it will be working with in the coming days and weeks.
Following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer, we have engaged in conversations with community leaders and our Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
— Tampa Bay Rowdies (@TampaBayRowdies) June 2, 2020
The Rays and Rowdies are issuing the following statement: pic.twitter.com/GhDYYcAIbv