Harrison and Brittany Barnes to donate $200K to fight racial injustice

Harrison Barnes and his wife Brittany pledged to donate around $200,000 to help fight racial injustice

Harrison Barnes is wasting no time in taking action in the fight against racial injustice, using his time in the Orlando bubble, and his platform with a team that many will be paying attention to — the Sacramento Kings — to ultimately get an important message out to a lot of people.

This comes as a response to the killing of George Floyd that ultimately sparked continued protests for justice and police reform.

With the NBA resuming, many players are relishing in the opportunity to use their platform as a way to uplift some of the messages that they want to reach a broader audience, and show solidarity with fellow players and fans alike.

James Ham from NBC Sports Bay Area says that Barnes and his wife Brittany will dedicate $25,000 for each of Sacramento’s eight games in Orlando, adding up to $200,000.

When asked what the specific charities Harrison and Brittany would be donating to, Ham responded with this.

There’s been a lot of talk about what showing solidarity means in a time like this. While the social justice messages on the backs of NBA player’s jerseys are cool, a lot of people feel like it’s a bit performative and if that’s all that’s done to spark a conversation, it isn’t enough.

What Barnes is doing is taking action. And that can’t be disputed as something that’s making a difference.

Barnes is far from the franchise player of this team, and his exploits on the court have garnered less and less attention since he left the Golden State Warriors in 2016, but there’s no doubt that he’s always been a leader.

And his position on the Kings is just as important in that regard as it is with what he can do on the floor.

Harrison Barnes’ experience could prove invaluable to a young Sacramento Kings team.

The Kings are a very young team. They need to be shown how to win and how to gel.

With his championship experience, and history with an organization that fostered its players to be who they are, those are all things that Barnes can do.

So Barnes taking initiative with this particular issue is something that will hopefully bring the team together and give them something to take pride in other than basketball as they fight for the eighth spot in the upcoming playoffs.

Barnes is also apparently still dedicated to his beard, which he said he won’t be shaving until the team reaches .500 or they make the playoffs. So whether the Kings make it or not, there will definitely be some things to talk about for the next few weeks.

The Kings resume play on July 31st at 5:00 PM PT against the San Antonio Spurs, and they’ve got a tough road ahead of them if they’re going to make that final spot.

A lot of things have to go right. But at least they’ll have the opportunity to speak out about the things that are important to them along the way.