Yahoo News Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks Out on Racial Injustice: ‘We Must Do More’
Click here to read the full article.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, released an open letter addressing racism in America and the death of George Floyd — saying the company “must do more” to address inequality.
Cook, in the letter posted Thursday, noted that Apple has previously announced donations to anti-racist organizations, including the Equal Justice Initiative, which is dedicated to ending mass incarceration in the U.S. However, Apple has not disclosed how much it has given. As of the end of March, the tech giant had nearly $193 billion cash on hand.
More from Variety
Gal Gadot, Sarah Treem's Hedy Lamarr Series Moves to Apple From Showtime (EXCLUSIVE)
Apple Sets 'Greatness Code' Docuseries About World's Greatest Athletes
“To stand together, we must stand up for one another, and recognize the fear, hurt, and outrage rightly provoked by the senseless killing of George Floyd and a much longer history of racism,” Cook wrote.
Apple’s mission continues to be “to create technology that empowers people to change the world for the better,” and the company has “strived to build an Apple that is inclusive of everyone,” according to Cook.
But, Cook said, “we must do more.” He said Apple is committing to continuing to bring critical resources and technology to underserved school systems; to fight environmental injustice, which disproportionately harms “Black communities and other communities of color”; and to “looking inward and pushing progress forward on inclusion and diversity, so that every great idea can be heard.”
“To create change, we have to reexamine our own views and actions in light of a pain that is deeply felt but too often ignored,” the CEO wrote. “Issues of human dignity will not abide standing on the sidelines. To the Black community — we see you. You matter and your lives matter.”
Cook’s comments come as protests have swept across the U.S. in response to the death of Floyd, a black man who died May 25 while he was pinned to the ground by a Minneapolis police office.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
