Zuckerberg Pledges $10 Million to Help End Racial Injustice: 'We Stand Against Racism. We Stand with Our Black Community'

Facebook is pledging $10 million to "efforts committed to ending racial injustice," the platform's founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said Monday on his personal account.

A message of support was also tweeted by Instagram, which is owned by Facebook.

It comes as protests continue to grip America following the killing of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, on May 25. A white former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Activists have been met with a heavy police response.

Zuckerberg wrote: "The pain of the last week reminds us how far our country has to go to give every person the freedom to live with dignity and peace. It reminds us yet again that the violence Black people in America live with today is part of a long history of racism and injustice. We all have the responsibility to create change.

"The organizations fighting for justice also need funding, so Facebook is committing an additional $10 million to groups working on racial justice.

"We're working with our civil rights advisors and employees to identify organizations locally and nationally that could most effectively use this right now.

"I know that $10 million can't fix this. It needs sustained, long term effort. One of the areas Priscilla and I have personally worked on and where racism and racial disparities are most profound is in the criminal justice system.

"I haven't talked much about our work on this, but the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has been one of the largest funders, investing ~$40 million annually for several years in organizations working to overcome racial injustice. Priscilla and I are committed to this work, and we expect to be in this fight for many years to come."

Chauvin was arrested and charged on May 29. Charges are anticipated for an additional three officers who were with him at the time of the incident.

Amid heavy law enforcement presence, curfews have been put in place in multiple U.S cities. Some protests have turned violent as tensions with police boiled over in recent days, while media and journalists were arrested while covering the events live.

On Sunday, as demonstrations hit Washington, D.C., the exterior lights on the White House were turned off and president Trump reportedly retreated to a bunker, according to the New York Times.

In its own update, Instagram shared the hashtag #ShareBlackStories and said that it, too, stands firmly alongside the black community.

The full post said: "We hear you, we see you and we are with you.⁣ We stand against racism. We stand with our Black community—and all those working toward justice in honor of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and far too many others whose names will not be forgotten.⁣

"Time and time again, we have seen that the Instagram community has the power to bring about meaningful change. The more we #ShareBlackStories, the more we raise voices that make a lasting impact. To continue that impact, @facebook is pledging $10 million to efforts committed to ending racial injustice. #BlackLivesMatter.⁣"