Once again, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is speaking with company employees regarding recent race-related tensions in the United States.
Earlier this month, Nadella held a town hall and offered a company-wide email which both attempted to mark a stance and set a tone for Microsoft’s position as a company in regards to excessive police force and Black Lives Matters protests.
Today, Nadella penned another company-wide email that specifically addresses racial injustice and the actions Microsoft plan to take to commit to improving the “lived experience” and drive change.
Today, we are making commitments to address racial injustice and inequity for the Black and African American community in the United States. We will additionally take important steps to address the needs of other communities, including the Hispanic and Latinx community, across the company in the next five years.
In Nadella’s latest email he lays out a fairly detailed multi-tiered gameplan to help Microsoft increase diversity within the company’s own walls as well as with its partners and contractors and finally using its software chops to help strengthen black and African communities.
Among the highlights of Nadella’s email is the company’s plan to, “…further strengthen company accountability for progress on representation. We will deepen our practice of evaluating each CVP/GM’s progress on diversity and inclusion when determining their impact and rewards, as well as promotion considerations.”
In addition, Microsoft will also be putting forth a five year, $50 million “sustained effort” towards expanding the company’s current justice reform initiative as well as providing $5 million in cash grants to community-based non-profits with the intent to aid skilled work amongst Black and African student bodies. There is also another $500 million Microsoft will be offering to a selection of Black- and African American owned suppliers who follow the company’s inclusive diversity initiatives.
Nadella goes into further detail about promoting Black-owned businesses, diversity training programs, public policy advocacy, expanding broadband into low-income communities, and technology support for non-profits led by people of color.
Today’s letter expounds on Microsoft’s previous efforts but in greater detail. The email also offers not only a thought-out approach to enacting immediate change but offers a receipt of efforts that employees and the public can hold the company accountable over for the next few years.
