Russell Westbrook has teamed up with the L.A. Promise Fund to launch the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy, which will consist of a middle school and a high school in Los Angeles. The schools were created “to create better access to educational and outdoor opportunities for children and the community at large in South L.A.”
“I’ve realized through the work with my [Why Not? Foundation] how often schools in underserved communities lack the resources and funding needed to support their students,” the Washington Wizards star said in a statement to People.
“I not only want to inspire and empower these students, but I want to help provide the essential and necessary resources to set them up for success beyond the classroom,” he added.
The schools will work to ensure that students in South Los Angeles will have “access to high-quality athletic programs while balancing a strong education and leadership development.” Westbrook will sit on the school board alongside his longtime business partner, Donnell Beverly, “to help oversee developments at the schools.”
Earlier this month, REVOLT reported that Westbrook teamed up with the History Channel to give people an in-depth look into the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre is slated to debut this spring. The two-hour film will coincide with the massacre’s 100th anniversary. In 1921, violent white mobs attacked Black Wall Street, which was the wealthiest Black community in America.
“The Tulsa Race Massacre was not something I was taught about in school or in any of my history books,” the NBA star said in a statement.
He continued, “It was only after spending 11 years in Oklahoma that I learned of this deeply troubling and heartbreaking event. This is one of many overlooked stories of African Americans in this country that deserve to be told. These are the stories we must honor and amplify so we can learn from the past and create a better future.”