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Alicia Keys worth $100M launches $1B fund for Black-owned businesses at NFL Kickoff, fans say that's 'beautiful'

'It’s starting here, but the intention is to build a multi-billion-dollar endowment across multiple industries, ' Alicia explained

Alicia Keys, who has always been a strong advocate of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, recently performed her brand new single ‘Love Looks Better’ at the NFL kick-off in solidarity with the movement. The Grammy-winning artist also performed a moving rendition of her 2017 song called ‘No One’.

Taking advantage of the position she holds in the music industry and the respect she has earned, the ‘Fallin’ hit-maker also used this platform to launch $1 billion fund to help Black-owned businesses and communities. Keys’s performance was tied into an announcement that NFL will be contributing $ 1billion endowment fund aimed at supporting Black businesses and communities.

The official Twitter handle of NFL also shared the big news and said, “.@AliciaKeys  Launches $1B Fund For Black businesses and performs her new single "Love Looks Better" on #Kickoff2020!”

Speaking about her new initiative, the 39-year-old singer-songwriter told Billboard, “We are already seeing the blatant injustices that are going on around us. As an artist, I’m always thinking about how can I use my platform to further racial equity. This fund is one of the answers and our goal is to empower Black America through investing in Black businesses, Black investors, institutions, entrepreneurs, schools and banks in a way to create sustainable solutions."

She added, “The initial goal of $1 billion is to ensure a substantial commitment. Even with that it does not come close to closing the economic gap. The next steps are to reach out to different industries to invite them to invest in racial justice and create a multi-billion dollar endowment across business sectors.”
Alicia Keys also released an official letter concerned with the fund and the black lives movement. Here are some of the excerpts:

She mentions, “The fund will be steered by Black leadership with a clear goal to empower Black America. The fund will create long term solutions with a focus on Black entrepreneurs, businesses, communities, Black schools, banks, and other Black institutions, while addressing persistent social, economic and environmental disparities. It’s starting here, but the intention is to build a multi-billion-dollar endowment across multiple industries. Through our collective action, we can end the needless and preventable agony created by systemic racism.”

Alicia added, “We are pushing for an aggressive agenda to meet the urgent need of proper access, opportunity and inclusion. I am personally committed to creating meaningful conversations to hold corporations and institutions accountable for their contributions to racial justice.”

A lot of social media users took to Twitter as they praised her song 'Love looks Better' during the NFL kickoff. One user said, “I’m not watching the game but caught alicia keys singing “lift every voice and sing.” that was beautiful.”

One follower asserted, “400 years plus and social justice has barely begun in America. But first cue up the Tomahawk chop song after Alicia Keys Love looks better on you. #NFL”

Another fan said, “I could feel the hate and disdain from every old white conservative in the midwest flowing through the air during the whole opening of the #NFLKickoff event. From the Alicia Keys performance to the moment of unity. #NFL #KCvsHOU”

Appreciating the move, one user posted, “As a Black man, and a lifelong football fan, I can really appreciate Alicia Keys singing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" before the #NFLKickoff.American football. What I'd love even more? For cops to STOP killing Black folks.”

The fund comes amidst the global pandemic and the BLM movement and also when NFL was facing heat for racial injustice. The league came under the fire for its well-publicized controversy with quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began taking a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice in the US in 2016.

Back in 2016, Keys had told The Guardian in an exclusive interview, “It’s emotional for me as a black woman, wanting to make sure that all the issues are addressed in America when it comes to race, when it comes to black people – wanting to make sure that message isn’t lost.” In 2008, Keys spoke to Blender magazine and said that she thought the Black Panther movement would have gone global if they’d had the platform musicians have today. In the same year, , Keys’ charitable foundation, We Are Here, put together a protest film – ‘23 Ways You Could Be Killed If You Are Black in America’ which featured Rihanna and Pharrell Williams.

Keys also posted a behind the scenes official video from the stadium. You can check the video here:

Speaking of Keys, she has always openly supported the BLM and has been vocal about their issues since day one. It comes as no surprise if the global musician has kickstarted a fund for her community. The singer has a net worth between estimated to be roughly $100 million by Forbes. She makes most of her money from her music sales but she has other skills too. Alicia’s debut album ‘Fallin’ scored the top spot on the Billboard 200 list and sold more than six million copies in the US. Keys’s debut album earned her six Grammy Award nominations in 2002, of which she won five. She became tied for the most Grammy wins for a female solo artist in one year. Since then, she has recorded five more multi-platinum albums. The singer has also toured separately for each album release raking-in close to $44 million from one tour.

Her book ‘Tears for Water’ got a spot on The New York Times best-seller list along with over $500,000 in sales. Apart from this, she has judged the music reality show ‘The Voice’ taking $8 million home for each season. She was a coach on the show for seasons 11 and 12, then again for seasons 14-16. She has also made appearances on several other shows throughout the years, including 'Saturday Night Live' and 'The X Factor Australia'.