“The events of the past two weeks have reflected what we can do to confront cultural and systemic forces that continue racism,” said Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted on Tuesday. Said.
“We must look at ourselves as individuals and our organization, and think about systems that make Black individuals and communities disadvantaged and quiet.” Said. “Although we have talked about the importance of inclusion, we must do more to create an environment where all our employees feel safe, hear and have equal opportunities to advance their careers.”
Above a minimum of 30% new recruitment, Adidas said it plans to announce an additional target “aiming to increase the representation of Black and Latin people in our workforce in North and North America”. Adidas refused to say what percentage of the workforce in the U.S. or North America is currently black employees.
Adidas will also donate $ 20 million in three initiatives that say it has supported black communities over the next four years: Adidas Legacy is the company’s main basketball platform for under-served communities; Adidas Experiential Training School, which helps people create a career in shoe design; and Honoring Black Perfection, which the company calls “an initiative honoring and supporting Black society with sport.”
Adidas said it plans to fund 50 scholarships a year for black employees at “partner” universities, but it does not give more details.
“We accept the black community’s success and the great contribution of others,” the company said. Said. “We promise that we will improve our company culture to provide equality, diversity and opportunity. We understand that the fight against racism must be constantly and actively tackled. We have to do better.”
Fix: An earlier version of this article had misspelled the timeline Nike was planning to donate.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly wrote the amount Nike wanted to donate for more than four years.
