Companies across all industries are committing to different initiatives and action steps to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matters movement and fight against racial injustice in America.
Among those is Apple, who announced the launch of its Racial and Justice Equity Initiative, which will focus on “education, economic equality, and criminal justice reform,” according to a video from CEO Tim Cook.
The unfinished work of racial justice and equality call us all to account. Things must change, and Apple's committed to being a force for that change. Today, I'm proud to announce Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, with a $100 million commitment. pic.twitter.com/AoYafq2xlp
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 11, 2020
Cook announced that the commitment includes internal plans to expand their recruitment efforts with HBCUs, increased spending for Black businesses, and creating an internal camp for Black developers.
“The unfinished work of racial justice and equality call us all to account,” Cook said. “Things must change, and Apple’s committed to being a force for that change.”
He added, “The initiative will challenge the systemic barriers to opportunity and dignity that exists for communities of color and particular for the Black community.”
Last week, Cook also posted a note to Apple’s website titled “Speaking up on racism,” which in but so many words stated, “We must do more.” However, the company received backlash for its lack of solid commitments within the statement.
Like other companies, Apple is under a renewed kind of pressure to efficiently address racial disparities in corporate America.
News of this initiative arrives on the heels of other companies committing to their own racial justice strategy plans, including YouTube’s $100 million fund for Black creators, PayPal’s $530 million fund of grants for Black businesses, and Facebook and Uber’s multi-million dollar donations to racial justice funds, according to BizJournals.
Additionally, Apple is also forming a partnership with the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit providing legal representation to prisoners who may have been denied a fair trial, Forbes reports.