An incoming freshman at the University of Alabama is standing up for black-owned businesses damaged during civil unrest that stemmed from George Floyd’s death last month in Minneapolis.
CJ Pearson, 17, is a native Georgian and longtime Bama football fan. He has announced that he will be studying political science in Tuscaloosa this fall.
The same week that the Capstone announced its plan to reopen for on-campus instruction, Pearson on Thursday hand-delivered a $10,000 check to Wilbourn Sisters Designs.
This, according to WSB-TV, was one of several black-owned local businesses seriously damaged as protesting devolved into criminal activity in Atlanta in recent weeks.
Incredibly, Pearson has raised more than $165,000 from crowdsourcing over just one week. The money will go to stores like Wilbourn Sisters that need to repair damage from vandalism and looting.
“I think it’s so important that we put actions behind our words,” Pearson told the TV network. “Let’s show that black lives matter by supporting these black-owned businesses that were adversely affected by these recent events, and not intentionally.”
“Posting a black screen isn’t enough. We need to go do something,” he added.
Pearson is a well-known conservative and supporter of President Donald Trump who has a large following online.
Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA) applauded the work Pearson is doing to help these damaged businesses.
“My thanks to [CJ Pearson]! Working together, I’m confident that Georgians can overcome these challenging times and emerge more united than ever,” Kemp tweeted.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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