Google Donates $175 Million USD to Support Black Businesses
“Over the past several weeks, violent and racist attacks against the Black community have forced the world to reckon with the structural and systemic racism that Black people have experienced over generations.”
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has just released a statement detailing the company’s plans in supporting the Black community, following YouTube‘s $100 million USD commitment. The technology giant has dedicated $175 million USD to support Black-led capital firms, entrepreneurial organizations, startups and other businesses.
Part of the sum will be spilt between worker training through organizations like the National Urban League, as well as increasing access to “education, equipment and economic opportunities” for developers. Additionally, funds have been set aside for the computer science and STEM education fields, expanding the Google Awards program to more universities and pledging $250,000 USD towards Black in AI.
Not only is Google making financial contributions, the company is also aiming to increase representation within its structure. The goal is for underrepresented groups to take up 30 percent of its leadership positions by 2025, making senior level positions available to outside candidates. Google is also setting up a talent liaison to represent staff from underrepresented groups “to develop concrete recommendations and proposals for accountability across all of the areas that affect the Black+ Googler experience, from recruiting and hiring, to performance management, to career progression and retention.”
“Over the past several weeks, violent and racist attacks against the Black community have forced the world to reckon with the structural and systemic racism that Black people have experienced over generations,” Pichai in wrote in his statement, adding, “My own search for answers started within our own walls. Listening to the personal accounts of members of our Black Leadership Advisory Group and our Black+ Googlers has only reinforced for me the reality our Black communities face: one where systemic racism permeates every aspect of life, from interactions with law enforcement, to access to housing and capital, to health care, education, and the workplace.”
