Walmart donates $ 14 million as part of its commitment to advancing racial equity

Following George Floyd’s protests, Walmart pledged to push for diversity within its own ranks and to provide $ 100 million over five years to help fight systemic racism across the country.

On Monday, the company reported on that effort. Walmart and its foundation will distribute the first $ 14.3 million to 16 nonprofits. Grants will go to groups facing racial inequalities in a variety of ways, such as educating communities of color about Covid-19 vaccines, reducing student debt in historically black colleges and universities, and providing access and technology. on the Internet to children attending school. remotely.

Walmart is one of many companies that promised to throw their money and weight into resolving racial disparities after Floyd’s assassination. However, as the largest businessman and retailer in the country, his actions are of additional importance. The company’s CEO, Doug McMillon, also leads the business roundtable, a powerful corporate voice made up of many of the country’s top executives.

When the company made its initial promise in June, McMillon acknowledged that companies, including Walmart, have to do more than write checks. He said the company would also do better within its four walls recruiting and supporting various talents.

Black employees account for approximately 21% of Walmart’s U.S. workforce of 1.5 million employees, according to the company’s latest diversity and inclusion report. However, this diversity is fading in the first places of Walmart. About 12% of company executives and 7% of its officers are black.

Walmart approved longtime employee Kirstie Sims to lead the company’s Center for Racial Equity, which will focus on inequalities in four key areas: finance, health care, education and criminal justice.

Sims, a native of Arkansas, began working at the big box retailer as a way to pay off student loans and planned to switch to the healthcare industry. At Walmart, however, she said she discovered she could build a career of more than 20 years and advance to leadership positions, which she hopes to make possible for other employees, including other black women. Prior to her new role, she was Walmart’s Senior Director of Ethics and Global Compliance.

Walmart has made other changes to advance racial equity in recent months. It will share an inclusion and diversity report twice a year instead of annually. He will work with the country’s largest historic university, North Carolina A&T State University, to increase the number of black college graduates entering highly sought-after fields. He opened two new Walmart Health offices, which offer low-cost medical consultations, in Chicago in November. He also signed on to join the One Ten Coalition, a group of American companies that were committed to training, hiring and promoting one million black Americans over the next decade.

Sims said Walmart is also studying how its business practices can make a difference. For example, it can expand access to affordable health care in needy communities by opening Walmart Health locations, elevating black-owned businesses using more of them as providers, and giving job seekers second chances to re-enter the job market. society after being involved with the criminal justice system.

“Progress is sometimes slow, but with the work, power and commitment behind it, we will make changes,” he said.