Apple commits $100m to racial justice initiative
Apple chief executive Tim Cook has today revealed the firm will spend $100m on a company programme dedicated to racial justice.
“The unfinished work of racial justice and equality call us all to account,” Cook said in a tweet. “Things must change, and Apple’s committed to being a force for that change.”
It follows in the wake of widespread protests globally in support of racial equality, after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis last month.
The Apple Racial Equity and Justice Initiative will be led by the firm’s vice president of environment, social and policy initiatives Lisa Jackson.
“Growing up in Alabama during the civil rights movement, I saw firsthand that the only thing that ever made lasting and durable change was people of goodwill putting aside comfort and safety to speak up to march to call for accountability and to do what they could to make a flawed society more perfect,” Cook said in a video announcing the programme.
Beginning in the US and gradually expanding globally, the initiative will challenge the systemic barriers to opportunity and dignity faced by communities of colour, Cook said.
It will pay a particular focus to issues of education, economic equality and criminal justice reform.
Alongside working with external organisations as part of the initiative, Apple will seek to make changes internally and increase its hiring of people of colour. It will also seek to increase spending on black-owned suppliers.
Similar measures have been announced by other companies in recent days, including in the technology sector. Earlier this week, Amazon pledged to donate $10m to organisations working on social justice for black people.