The San Francisco 49ers will celebrate the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative this week on Thursday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s® Stadium. The game will highlight the team’s social justice initiatives and serve as a reminder that sports can be a powerful platform for positive change off the field.

The 49ers’ commitment to promoting social justice in the Bay Area doesn’t stop at game day activation. Starting in 2020, the team initially awarded $1 million in grants to ten California-based social justice organizations, and earlier this season the 49ers announced an extension to their grant program. This year, the team committed $5 million over 10 years, with a focus on improving racial justice and the Black community in these three key areas: improving community-police relations, criminal justice reform, and education and economic progress.

Through a variety of community-focused events, grants and sustained partnerships with local nonprofits, the 49ers have demonstrated their commitment to community upliftment and advancing racial justice. Recipients of the 49ers Social Justice Grant include Kingmakers of Oakland, East Oakland Youth Development Center, Alive & Free, OK Program & Community Education Partnerships and Urban Peace Movement. These nonprofit organizations are at the forefront of youth empowerment, education and community development in the Bay Area.

To kick off the football and school seasons earlier this year, the 49ers teamed up with Levi’s® and Visa to support local teachers with a back-to-school shopping spree at Westfield Valley Fair Mall. Teachers in the African American Female Excellence Program and Urban Ed Academy received new clothing in preparation for the school year. The event was a tangible way to show appreciation for educators who are making a difference in the local community.