Google would provide $ 37 million to fight racism, announced CEO Sunder Pichai (File)
Washington:
Internet giant Google would donate $ 37 million to fight racism, CEO Sunder Pichai announced following the national demonstration in the United States against the murder of African-American George Floyd in custody.
In an email to employees on Wednesday, the Indo-American CEO of Google and Alphabet also urged them to stay together in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to honor the “memories of black lives lost”.
Pichai, 47, said the company would provide $ 12 million in funding to organizations fighting racial inequality and $ 25 million in advertising grants to help organizations fighting racial injustice provide vital information.
“Our first grants of $ 1 million each will go to our long-term partners at the Center for Policing Equity and the Equal Justice initiative. And we will provide technical support through our Google.org Fellows program. This builds on The USD We have donated $ 32 million to racial justice in the past five years, “said Pichai.
“Our black community is suffering, and many of us are looking for ways to defend what we believe in and reach out to the people we love to show solidarity.
“Yesterday I met with a group of our black leaders to discuss the direction we are taking from here and how we can contribute as Google. We have discussed many ideas and are trying to determine where to put our energy and resources in weeks and months, “said the 47-year-old CEO in the email.
The United States is in the midst of the greatest civil unrest in the history of the country after the death of 46-year-old Floyd when a white policeman trapped him and knelt on his neck as he gasped.
The incident sparked nationwide protests in the country. In some cases, peaceful protests have become violent, leading to widespread looting, damage to property and monuments, and burned vehicles. Thousands of people have been arrested.
A curfew has been imposed in several cities, including New York and Washington DC, with most protests turning violent overnight.
Pichai said the length of the moment of silence represents “the time that George Floyd suffered before he was killed. It is meant to serve as a visceral reminder of the injustice inflicted on Mr. Floyd and so many others.
“We recognize that racism and violence may seem different in different parts of the world, so use it as a moment to reflect on those who have been lost in your own country or community at a time convenient for you,” he said. -he declares.
In the email, Pichai also shared the results of the company’s internal donation campaign held last week.
“I am pleased to share that you have all contributed an additional $ 2.5 million in donations which we match. This represents the largest Google donation campaign in our business history, with both the largest amount collected by employees and the widest participation, “he said.
He said the events of the past few weeks reflect deep structural challenges.
“We will work closely with our black community to develop initiatives and product ideas that support long-term solutions – and we will keep you posted. As part of this effort, we welcome your ideas on how to use our products and technology to improve access and opportunities, “he said.
Pichai’s announcement comes days after key Indo-American CEOs, including himself and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, expressed solidarity with the African-American community after Floyd’s death.
“Today, on the Google and YouTube home pages in the United States, we share our support for racial equality in solidarity with the black community and in memory of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others who have no voice, “Pichai wrote on Twitter on Sunday. .
“For those who feel grief, anger, sadness and fear, you are not alone,” said Pichai, sharing a screenshot of the Google search home page that said : “We support racial equality and all those who seek it.”
(This story has not been edited by GalacticGaming staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
