WACO, Texas — America's sweethearts, Chip and Joanna Gaines, have announced they're doing their part to combat racial injustice.
Their announcement comes after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The duo starred in the hit HGTV series "Fixer Upper" from 2013-2018, which took place in the Waco area.
The following statement was posted to the couple's company website on Saturday:
WE STAND WITH YOU.
As a company, we have paused over the last few days to deeply consider how to best engage on issues of systemic racism in our country. Those internal conversations revealed the following:
We must stand: Acts of racism and injustice have no place in our society. To our Black brothers and sisters who are suffering, pleading, and grieving – unequivocally, your lives matter.
We must engage: Our Manifesto calls us to listen and learn from others, which right now means dedicating time and resources to fight widespread racism. That work begins within our own company and through the Magnolia Bridge Building initiative with the implementation of diversity and inclusion training for all employees, creation of a Race Relations listening series and participation in Racial Equity Institute workshops for all our leadership.
We must act: We believe our work must start in our own community. Magnolia is donating a total of $100,000 locally to the Waco NAACP and the Waco Community Race Relations Coalition and a total of $100,000 nationally to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Race Forward.
We invite you to join: Any gift made to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund or Race Forward will be matched by Magnolia up to $100,000 total.
There is much work to be done, and we are eager to walk forward in humility, with open hands and hearts.
— The Magnolia Family
