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The NFL announced yesterday that they will be partnering with Ice Cube’s Contract with Black America Institute (CWBA) yesterday. “Our partnership with CWBA is another reminder that partnering with intentional organizations is critical to everything we do at the league,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said.
CWBA is an economic inclusion-focused initiative created by Ice Cube to support Black-owned businesses and increase economic equity within Black communities.
“This Contract With Black America was designed to start the hard conversations. It was made to be perfected and debated. So please add comments and suggestions so we can create a better contract with America that will help create a better and more perfect Union,” Ice Cube’s website reads.
The CWBA’s “Sports Industry Economic Development Plan” requests that sports leagues and teams hire exclusively Black companies for food vendors in stadiums. This would include more Black manufacturers, production companies, and marketing and advertising agencies in league operations.
The partnership will focus on identifying League-wide opportunities in the financial, tech, and production sectors, with a concentration on increasing direct and indirect spending to national Black businesses to help close America’s racial and economic wealth gap.
Ice Cube works with NFL on Black equity
According to Ice Cube, the two companies had already been working closely for more than a year to build a stronger economic partnership with the Black community.
The league has spent and allocated $125 Million with Black-owned and operated businesses such as Ariel Investments, CityFirst/Broadway Bank, Cover Communications, and Fearless Technology during the last year.
“Black businesses play a major role in our country’s economic prosperity,” Goodell said.
According to Forbes, Ice Cube has said he wishes to add other sports leagues to a similar partnership. He has reached out to the NBA but hasn’t yet received a response.
“The NBA should be doing this without a doubt,” Ice Cube said. “They should not be ignoring us when it comes to this.”