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Tech companies aren’t keeping quiet about the current unrest in America regarding racial justice and one journalist is keeping track of exactly what they’re saying.
Data journalist Sherrell Dorsey is keeping track of the responses in a spreadsheet she’s sharing online. Not only does it list the company name but who made the statement and when.
“It was so unprecedented that I was shocked,” Dorsey told me over Zoom from Atlanta. “There were some companies that were very explicit, in saying that this is racist, this police brutality is unacceptable and we stand with our employees and we stand with our customers.”
Dorsey is founder of The Plug, a newsletter that tracks innovation in diverse tech.
So, what are some of the companies saying?
Amazon posted to Twitter that “the inequitable and brutal treatment of black people in our country must stop.”
Microsoft is using their platform to “amplify African American voices.”
Google posted a message to it’s homepage saying “we stand in suport of racial equality and all those who search for it.”
In a memo to employees obtained by Bloomberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook says a “painful past is still present today.”
“Company or not, just as individuals we really need to draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough,” said Dorsey.
Twitter, which recently placed warning labels on some of President Trump’s tweets, changed their iconic blue bird to black and their bio to #BlackLivesMatter.
Facebook, which has stood by its decision not to censor the President’s posts, pledged $10 million dollars to groups working on racial justice.
“At the end of the day, staying silent is being complicit, for those that are speaking out it means a lot to customers, it means a lot to consumers,” concluded Dorsey.
Additionally, the spreadsheet takes a look at company diversity reports and whether they’ve pledged financial support to organizations dealing with issues of equality. So far the tally stands at about $30 million dollars.
You can take a look at the spreadsheet here, and be sure to sign up for Dorsey’s newsletter, which tracks innovation in the diverse tech space.
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