Google is committing more than $175 million to initiatives aimed at eliminating racial discrimination, with an emphasis on funding Black-owned companies and supporting Black entrepreneurs. The $175 million in funding to support Black employees and companies was announced by Google CEO Sundar Pichaion Wednesday along with a number of other commitments and changes aimed at combating anti-Black racism and supporting Black Google employees and their families.
The $175 million commitment is part of a “financial opportunity package” that Google is dividing into four parts. The largest amount, $100 million, will go to venture capital firms, startups, and other organizations that are centered around black entrepreneurs. Another $50 million will go to small and medium-sized businesses that focus on the “Black community.” In addition, Google says $15 million will go to training programs for black job seekers , while $10 million will go to support Google’s black developers by providing them with access to “ training , equipment, and financial opportunities.” In addition to this funding, Google will give $3 million to support black students in early-stage computer science education.
Google’s pledges come in the wake of widespread protests over the killing of George Floyd. Many companies in the US have begun to examine their failures to support black communities, considering what they can do to improve opportunities for black employees and combat racism against them. Google initially announced a $12 million donation to fight racial discrimination earlier this month. Other major tech companies, including Amazon and Facebook, have also announced donations. Last week, Apple launched a $100 million program called the “Racial Equity and Justice Initiative.”
Google is also making some changes to its organization to support its black employees. The company has committed to adding more black employees and other underrepresented groups to senior leadership by up to 30 percent by 2025. Google said white employees currently hold 65.9 percent of leadership roles in the U.S. and 29.6 percent in Asia . Black employees make up just 2.6 percent.
Pichai also said Google will do more to improve the hiring, retention, and promotion of people from underrepresented groups and work to create a stronger sense of inclusion and belonging for its black employees. The changes include ending Google’s policy of requiring employees to monitor for unauthorized visitors entering their offices. Pichai noted that the company realized that this process could reinforce bias, so Google will now rely on other security checks. Google also plans to add additional anti-racism programs for its entire workforce. The company has recently come under fire from employees who say it has largely scaled back its programs . Google defended the decision, saying that some of the programs it stopped could not be properly scaled across the company. Pichai also said Google is working to expand mental health resources and other benefits to better support Black employees and their families. The announcements follow a $12 million commitment Google made earlier this month to organizations working to address racial inequality. YouTube ,which is owned by Google, also announced a $100 million donation to support Black creators.
