Monday, July 6, 2020

NAACP: Our Commitment to Black Economic Sustainability



Over the last several months we’ve witnessed the awakening of communities across the country who’ve dedicated themselves to designing a better and more sustainable society that is advantageous to all people. The outpour of corporations joining in solidarity to proclaim Black Lives Matter in this moment cannot be understated. As titans of industry, the influence of businesses lending their voice to speak to the social injustices and racial discrimination resounds throughout not only our nation but across the globe.

In this defining moment for our nation, all proclamations must be met equally with actions. In addition to traditional diversity and inclusion programs, we urge corporations to commit to:

  • Implementing economically inclusive business practices
  • Addressing supply chain and distribution inequities 
  • Examining internal corporate structures
  • Developing more diverse decision makers, C-suites, and Boards


Those commitments should also extend to investing in the education for our children, helping disadvantaged youth, and developing initiatives around civic and community outreach.

Over the next decade, the NAACP is dedicated to building initiatives to grow racial equity, gender equity, and sustainability corporations. We begin this journey today by participating in the NASDAQ closing bell ceremony. We do so as a reminder to the financial industry of the impact social injustice and COVID-19 has had on the Black community, and as a growing number of corporations stand in solidarity with our community, they must do so not just with words, but also with actions.

We welcome the opportunity to continue to partner with corporations to develop more diverse corporate culture, economically inclusive business practices, and to proactively dismantle the structures that have held many back.

In Solidarity,

Derrick Johnson
@DerrickNAACP
President and CEO
NAACP 

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