social justice

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Minneapolis-St. Paul – Minnesota Timberwolves Center Karl-Anthony Towns has been named as a board member of the newly-established National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. The National Basketball Social Justice Coalition will lead the NBA family’s efforts to advance equality and social justice.

Towns joins 14 other members on the Coalition’s board, comprised of NBA governors, NBA and NBPA executives, coaches and players. The two-time All-Star has been on the front lines advocating for social and racial justice, and his presence has been especially felt in the Twin Cities community throughout the summer. Despite his personal losses during the pandemic, Towns joined the press conference and rally in Minneapolis following the killing of George Floyd with Timberwolves Guard Josh Okogie in May, attended the George Floyd Memorial at the closing of the Timberwolves In-Market Program and attended various rallies throughout the country this summer.

Towns also participated in various Timberwolves team calls with local figures, including a Zoom conversation with Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to openly discuss how to bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement and increase police accountability. He has been at the forefront, acting as an agent of change for social justice reform, encouraging healing within the community and serving as a source of hope for the future.

Most recently, the 24-year-old New Jersey native continued to support the Twin Cities community by attending the third Timberwolves and Lynx Pack the Vote community registration event in an effort to build a more equitable society, remove barriers and encourage all to exercise their right to vote.

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Karl-Anthony Towns Joins National Basketball Social Justice Coalition Board

Minneapolis-St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx today announced a partnership with RISE  to unite and create programming to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations.  

On June 4, Timberwolves Associate Head Coach David Vanterpool and Lynx Assistant Coach Rebekkah Brunson joined Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx CEO Ethan Casson and Kim Miller, Vice President of Programs at RISE, to lead a community conversation for the Timberwolves and Lynx staff surrounding the impact of George Floyd’s death, personal experiences and emotions regarding social injustice and systemic racism. That conversation provided a starting point for what turned out to be one of the most comprehensive partnerships that RISE has created. The multi-year partnership will include:  

“This integrated partnership will provide us the opportunity to have a lasting impact in areas of racial equality and social justice,” said Casson. “These timely programs will provide our staff, players and coaches with the necessary resources and education to be agents of change within our community.” 

RISE, who initially worked with the Timberwolves in a 2018 Building Bridges Through Basketball event including center Karl-Anthony Towns, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Chief of Minneapolis Police Medaria Arradondo, is proud to take their partnership to the next level.  

“True racial equity is achieved only through long-term intentional  action that explicitly addresses race, and this partnership with the Timberwolves and Lynx demonstrates how committed the organization is to  creating meaningful, lasting  change throughout their communities,” RISE CEO Diahann Billings-Burford said. “We believe sports are the ultimate unifier and an effective platform to engage in these often difficult conversations. Through our programs that equip athletes, coaches and staff with the tools to be leaders in addressing racism, diversity and inclusion, we will be able to help educate and empower the entire Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx organization to spark the change they want to see.” 

Details on each of the programs included in the Timberwolves, Lynx and RISE partnership will be released as the events and programs are announced at a later date.

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Timberwolves and Lynx Partner with RISE to Create Cross-Sector Programming in the Fight for Racial Equality and Social Justice

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