Apple invests $30m more to boost Racial Equity and Justice
Apple has put another $30 million into its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative
Apple has put another $30 million into its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI), supporting a range of attempts to help build a more inclusive, more just world.
Boosting community, business and justice
The new money is going to a range of new projects, including a Global Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Equity Innovation Hub; expanded education initiatives for community colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); a new cohort of the Apple Entrepreneur Camp immersive tech lab for Hispanic/Latinx founders and developers; and funding to advance criminal justice reform and environmental justice.
These new commitments build on Apple’s $100 million initial investment in REJI. The efforts are particularly aimed at boosting academic and advocacy spaces. The company says the new projects will help “equip the next generation of students and leaders to dismantle structures that perpetuate inequities and institutional racism.”
Among other projects, Apple is partnering with the California State University (CSU) to launch a Global HSI Equity Innovation Hub. It is supporting the expansion of the HBCU C2 initiative to 11 new schools, bringing the total number of community coding centers and regional hubs on HBCU campuses to 45 across the country.
What Tim Cook said
“The call to build a more just and equitable world is an urgent one, and at Apple, we feel a collective responsibility to help drive progress forward,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.
“The commitments we’re sharing will help the young leaders of today and tomorrow start new businesses, develop groundbreaking innovations, and inspire countless others to join the fight for justice. We’re grateful to all of the trailblazing organizations we’re partnering with for their tireless dedication to equity as we work toward a better future together.”
“If this pandemic has taught us anything, I hope it’s that none of us can use injustice’s long history as an excuse not to act,” said Apple CEO, Tim Cook in early 2021.
Expanding its reach for entrepreneurs
Apple will expand its Entrepreneur Camp program to welcome its first cohort of Hispanic/Latinx founders and developers next year.
“We are focused on advancing enduring change, and our newest grant commitments will further that effort by supporting problem solvers and solution seekers in communities of color nationwide,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. “Education, economic opportunity, and environmental justice are fundamental pillars to ensuring racial equity, and everyone has a role to play in this critical mission.”
Investing in Criminal and Environmental Justice
Apple will also provide grants to seven organizations that support racial justice, including the Anti-Recidivism Coalition.
The company will also work with a number of community colleges to implement programs that help incarcerated and paroled individuals learn new skills to prevent recidivism. Apple is also funding at least four Black-, Hispanic/Latinx-, and Indigenous-led organizations working for environmental justice, and advocating for communities most impacted by climate change and environmental disparities.
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