Michael B. Jordan said that transportation sometimes keeps people in underserved communities from seizing a career opportunity. So he and his Outlier Society Fellowship teamed with LyftUp, the charitable leg of Lyft, to give Black and Hispanic people and recent college graduates free rides in New York and Los Angeles.
The free transportation is supposed to be used specifically for those attending things like job interviews, career counseling or something else that will help advance their career.
“Reliable transportation is often taken for granted,” said Jordan in a press statement. “It plays a critical role in arriving on time to a job interview, the first day and every workday after. I am proud to partner with LyftUp Lyft to provide rides for Outlier Society fellows. Together, through the LyftUp initiative, we will work to alleviate some of the transportation barriers young professionals in under-sourced communities may experience.”
Lyft announced its LyftUp program in January of this year, which has provided access to over 1 million rides to people in underserved communities to reach not only their job but get food and other necessities.
The company has already partnered with LeBron James earlier this year to give certain communities a free one-year membership to Lyft’s bike-sharing program, which launched in New York City and began rolling out to other U.S. cities afterward.
As for Jordan, partnering with LyftUp to provide free rides is only one way he’s helped people of color this year. In June, his Outlier Society production company teamed with Amazon Studios to put on a series of films in drive-in theaters in certain U.S cities.
The actor selected specific films like “Black Panther,” which he co-stars in, and “Love & Basketball” to highlight Black and brown stories. Jordan also said that he wanted to give people a safe way to social distance while they’re watching a movie during COVID-19.
Lyft said the company is excited to have him on board with them.
“It’s an honor to have Michael B. Jordan and Outlier Society join the LyftUp Alliance,” said Chloe Slobotkin of Lyft Culture & Entertainment Marketing in a statement. “We’re proud to be partnering to give young people the access to transportation they need to pursue their career goals and be set up for long-term success. We believe in the power of transportation and feel it is our responsibility to make it accessible to all.”
Last month, LyftUp released a video to promote their free ridesharing program and used Maya Angelou’s poem “On The Pulse Of Morning” in the background.
