Chris Long will donate first 6 NFL game checks to Charlottesville kids

Resident woke white dude in the NFL Chris Long is donating his first 6 game checks to fund scholarships for underprivileged children in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Long, a Charlottesville native himself, is setting up his scholarship as a response to the white supremacist marches in the city last month. He spoke about his actions in a statement from the Chris Long Foundation,

“In August, we watched people fill our hometown streets with hatred and bigotry,” said Long. “Megan and I decided to try to combat those actions with our own positive investment in our community.”

By partnering with the Boys & Girls Club of Central Virginia, Long will sponsor two students for 7 years at his alma mater, St. Anne’s-Belfield School, a top private school in Charlottesville. Long spoke further about his donation and representing the true nature of his hometown,

“We want these scholarships to be reflective of what the ‘Cville’ community is really about – – supporting one another, social equality and building up those in our community who need it,” said Long. “We hope our investment will change the lives of the students who receive the scholarship and in turn, those students can positively impact others.”

David Lourie, Head of School at St. Anne’s-Belfield, said of Long’s scholarship,

“We could not be more pleased that Chris is supporting student scholarships in this way. His commitment to the Charlottesville community and making this opportunity possible represents all that we hope for in our alumni. We look forward to welcoming our first scholarship recipients next year.”

Long’s own foundation has set up WaterBoys, an organization focused on getting potable water to communities in need in Africa. But this step to set up scholarships is obviously more focused on Long’s own backyard, and he said in his statement about how important it is to invest at home,

“Through the foundation, we are committed to serving communities lacking basic human necessities, but we also want to invest in the one in our backyard. This scholarship allows us a chance to give back to our community and empower students that don’t have the same educational opportunities that my wife and I were afforded.”

This is some pretty cool stuff from Chris Long, who became the first white player in the NFL to take part in national anthem protests during the preseason. He spoke at length about being an ally and standing up to social and racial injustices after his anthem protest last month.

Now Long, like Colin Kaepernick, is putting action behind his protest. These football players have taken a lot of criticism for their social action but they’re actively trying to impact communities in need for the better.

That’s something that should be widely commended and praised.