Kings announce partnership with BLM Sacramento to support local black communities

In the wake of the shooting of 22-year-old Stephon Clark by Sacramento police, and the protests the killing has incited, the Sacramento Kings are partnering with Black Lives Matter Sacramento and the nascent Build. Black. Coalition to invest in local black communities, the Kings announced Wednesday.

As part of the initiative, the Kings are establishing an education fund for Clark's children.

"This fund cannot fix the issues that led to the death of their father, but it will secure opportunities for their futures while the family and the city grapples with healing," the Kings said in a statement.

"To support transformational change for Black communities in Sacramento, the Sacramento Kings are creating a multi-year plan in partnership with the Build. Black. Coalition to support the education of young people and to provide the workforce preparation and economic development efforts needed to truly #BuildBlackFutures."

The initiative will also include a community event this Friday, with Kings players Vince Carter and Garrett Temple, along with leaders of Build. Black, BLM, and the NAACP, among others, in conversation with local youth.

The Kings have closed their arena doors twice in the past week, as demonstrators blocked the entrances to protest the killing of Clark, who was unarmed and standing in his grandparents' backyard when police shot him 20 times.