The summer of 2020 marked a pivotal moment in our nation. We as business leaders publicly pledged support of Black Lives Matter (BLM) and there was a sense of renewed focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. However, it is one thing to commit to a solution; it is another to persist until change is fully realized.
The moment is not over. Our responsibility still looms large. The moment must become a movement.
Now more than ever, it is imperative for businesses to continue to prioritize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I). This work is critical to building a more equitable workplace and, ultimately, a just society. However, we cannot expect to make large-scale change if our approach is to remain as isolated efforts within individual corporations.
It is time for corporate America to partner together to create scalable, lasting change.
Take on Race is a coalition of like-minded companies joined together to forge a path forward to advance and sustain racial equity within and beyond corporate America.
We are fighting to make meaningful change against six key disruptors: access to employment, wealth, health care, education, social justice, and accurate media portrayals. We tackle these six disruptors by scaling big ideas. Our objective is to make significant impacts on issues that require urgent solutions.
Our first big idea is “One Million Connected Devices Now!” Through this initiative, we are working together to help close the digital divide for communities of color. Access to education is a fundamental responsibility of communities across the country. As more schools shift to online learning during these unprecedented times, students who lack access to reliable computing and connectivity can’t keep pace with their more “connected” classmates. This issue is a significant barrier to achieving racial equity because it predominantly affects black and brown families. With a connected device, families can stay connected to educational experiences, no matter the platform. By simply closing the educational achievement gap, researchers at the Center for American Progress estimate the economy would be 2.3 trillion dollars larger by 2050.
Through our “One Million Connected Devices Now!” big idea, Take on Race collaborates with educators and community leaders to provide connected devices to one million students in need across 70 markets and 30 states. Students will receive three keys to learning—a laptop or tablet with educational software, a low-cost solution to high-speed broadband, and tech support in using the tools to maximize their learning experiences.
This is the progress we can make within a single disruptor. Think of the possibilities leaps if we collaborate and scale our efforts across all six disruptors. The time is now for collective change. Working together we can advance racial equity. Join us and make an impact: https://www.takeonrace.org/.