Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced today, June 17, the company's plan to fund $175 million worth of racial equality campaigns, particularly the Black Lives Matter movement and black-owned businesses, The Verge reported.
This happened in the midst of controversies the tech giant is finding itself in, with one of the most recent ones being with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz over criticizing Google's actions against conservative publications.
This funding was announced alongside other changes and commitments that aim at supporting racial equality and fighting racism.
$175 million in funding from Google
Pichai added in an official Google blog post that the $175 million funding belongs to the "economic opportunity package" that will be divided into four sections. Most of the funds, around $100 million, will be used to support black-owned start-ups, groups, and organizations managed by the community. There will also be $50 million for financing and grants intended for small businesses that are geared toward the black community.
In addition, the CEO revealed that the company is giving away $15 million for training programs for those part of the community looking for work. These will be managed by partner firms. There will also be a $10 million fund to support black developers, providing them access to opportunities and better education. And an additional $3 million will be allotted for black students, particularly those in their early computer science learning.
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The commitments are part of the worldwide response following the death of African-American George Floyd in the hands of Minnesota police. These protests have been urging companies in the U.S. to see what they can do to support the movement.
More announcements
Earlier this month, the company announced it will donate $12 million to combat racial inequality, with Amazon and Facebook contributing to the donations. Apple also announced a $100 million package for the Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, the report added.
Pichai also added that Google will also make vital changes within its team to support their black employees and enhance representation. It will be hiring more of these individuals to senior leadership teams, and increase representation by the year 2025.
In the company's 2020 diversity report, white employees account for about 65% of leadership roles, while 23% are Asian employees. Black employees are only about 2%.
"Creating meaningful change starts within our own company," Pichai said. "Strengthening our commitment to racial equity and inclusion will help Google build more helpful products for our users and the world."
Google also seeks to do boost hiring, people promotion, and retention of employees from groups that are underrepresented. In addition to this, the company will work toward creating a "stronger sense of belonging and inclusion" for these employee groups.
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Google Assistant Smart Displays can now access AMP web articles beginning late summer this year, The Verge reported. They also announced improvements in the voice assistance features designed to make interactions faster and more responsive.
