• by Gavin O'Malley , June 4, 2020

Speaking in broad terms, Tim Cook just threw his support behind the civil-rights movement sweeping the country.

In a letter posted on Thursday, Apple’s CEO said the company will donate more money to organizations fighting racial injustice and mass incarceration, while devoting an unspecified share of resources and technology to under-served school systems.

Apple will also continue to “fight the forces of environmental injustice … which disproportionately harm black communities and other communities of color,” he said.

Additionally, Cook committed to “looking inward and pushing progress forward on inclusion and diversity, so that every great idea can be heard.”

Speaking on behalf of Apple’s approximately 137,000 employees, Cook said they were guilty of failing to sufficiently acknowledge the pain and suffering felt by black Americans.   

“We have to reexamine our own views and actions in light of a pain that is deeply felt, but too often ignored,” Cook admitted.

Addressing black Americans directly, Cook said, “We see you. You matter and your lives matter.”

Throughout the tech and media industries, executives have made similar statements in response to the death of George Floyd, and the movement it has sparked.

Over the weekend, Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook stood with the “black community,” while admitting the company must do more to support “equality and safety for the black community through our platforms.” (Zuckerberg also committed an additional $10 million to groups working on racial justice.)

As their Twitter feeds clearly show, not everyone is buying the high-minded statements, commitments and financial offerings of executives like Cook and Zuckerberg.

Specifically, critics are calling out some tech companies for their close ties to local and national law enforcement, along with their inability (and unwillingness) to curb racist content on their platforms.

In particular, Facebook has come under fire for refusing to apply its standard content policies, which prohibit hate speech and the glorification of violence, to President Trump.