George and Amal Clooney have long been committed to social justice. And the couple just took a powerful step toward fighting hate.
The Clooney Foundation for Justice gave a $1 million grant to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on Tuesday. The SPLC "monitors the activities of domestic hate groups and other extremists," according to a press release.
The grant comes after the tragic events in Charlottesville, Virginia earlier this month. Heather Heyer, a counter-protestor against a white nationalist rally, was killed when a man drove a car into a group of protestors.
President Trump later said there was "blame on both sides" following the deadly event.
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"Amal and I wanted to add our voice (and financial assistance) to the ongoing fight for equality," George Clooney said in a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter. "There are no two sides to bigotry and hate.”
The Clooneys also said in a statement that "what happened in Charlottesville, and what is happening in communities across our country, demands our collective engagement to stand up to hate."
The Clooney Foundation for Justice has also partnered with organizations to help Syrian and Yazidi refugees with resettlement in the United States. The foundation is also developing its TrialWatch Project, which aims to fight oppression within courtrooms.
"Like George and Amal Clooney, we were shocked by the size, ugliness, and ferocity of the white supremacist gathering in Charlottesville," SPLC President Richard Cohen said in a statement. "It was a reflection of just how much Trump's incendiary campaign and presidency have energized the radical right. We are deeply grateful to the Clooney Foundation for standing with us at this critical moment in our country's fight against hate."
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