Streeter Lecka/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Michael Jordan has donated $5 million to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture set to open in Washington, D.C. in September.
The museum will name a section of their sports gallery after Jordan in recognition of the basketball legend who also donated a jersey from the 1996 NBA Finals.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to support this museum,” Jordan said in a statement according to the Washington Post. “I also am indebted to the historic contributions of community leaders and athletes such as Jesse Owens, whose talent, commitment and perseverance broke racial barriers and laid the groundwork for the successful careers of so many African Americans in athletics and beyond.”
Museum Founding Director Lonnie G. Bunch III said Jordan’s gift would “enable our visitors to explore how sports were used to break barriers as a way to gain full participation in American society,” according to the Washington Post.
The new museum will be located between the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
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