Whereas most of us can merely sigh, gnash our teeth, and slap our foreheads when Donald Trump says ill-informed and intentionally obnoxious things, righteous, wealthy people like George Clooney have the ability to open their wallets and respond in more effective ways.
On Thursday, Trump boasted that his initial plan to hold his rally in Tulsa on Juneteenth “made Juneteenth very famous.” He added that “nobody had ever heard of it” prior to his recent rescheduling. (When an aide pointed out that the Trump White House had, in fact, commemorated the date last year, he said “OK, OK. Good.”)
Clooney, who has referred to Trump as a “xenophobic fascist” in the past, found inspiration in the President’s words.
“Thank you President Trump for ‘making Juneteenth famous.’ Much like when Bull Connor made ‘Civil Rights’ famous. My family will be donating 500 thousand dollars to the Equal Justice Initiative in honor of your heroic effort,” he said in a statement.
The Equal Justice Initiative is an Alabama-based non-profit that provides legal representation to the disenfranchised. It was founded by Bryan Stevenson, who was portrayed by Michael B. Jordan in Destin Daniel Cretton’s recent film Just Mercy.
Two months ago George and Amal Clooney donated over $1 million to coronavirus relief funds. They also gave $3.5 million in 2017 to Syrian refugees. The pair head the Clooney Foundation for Justice, a worldwide advocacy group. The CFJ co-sponsors The Sentry, an “investigative and policy team that follows the dirty money connected to African war criminals and transnational war profiteers,” according to their website. Clooney was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2008. The $500,000 to the EJI is part of a pattern of commendable behavior.
If you would like to show appreciation to George Clooney beyond making donations yourself, take a second look (or maybe a first) at his quite fantastic and perennially resonant 2005 film he co-wrote and directed, Good Night, And Good Luck.
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