How protests spurred Corporate America into action on race, inequality

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How protests spurred Corporate America into action on race, inequality

Outrage over George Floyd’s killing at the hands of Minneapolis police officers has pushed America to the brink, but has also spurred numerous big companies and brands into a new form of activism that’s tailor made for the digital era.

Nike (NKE), Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), and Netflix (NFLX) are among the many household names that joined this week’s virtual campaigns against police brutality and racism. This week, Verizon (VZ), the parent company of Yahoo Finance, announced a $10 million initiative to fund social justice programs.

With a growing number of CEOs and brands speaking out on social justice, Corporate America is shedding its normally cautious stance, in which leaders avoid taking a stance on polarizing social issues.

Celeste Warren, Merck’s (MRK) global head of diversity, told Yahoo Finance that corporate culture has changed in recent years, allowing more free-flowing conversations about race and religion.

“What we are seeing now is different with what we’ve seen in the past. I’ve seen a big difference in corporations stepping up,” she said, saying there is a combination of factors at play.

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