Top US Indian corporate bosses speak out against racism
PROMINENT India-American CEOs, including Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and Google’s Sunder Pichai, have expressed solidarity with the African American community as protests related to the death of George Floyd spread across the UK.
Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American, was handcuffed and pinned to the ground in Minneapolis on May 25 by a white police officer who kneeled on his neck as he gasped for breath. His death has triggered violent protests across the US, leading to the death of at least five persons, the arrest of more than 4,000 people, and damage to property worth billions of dollars.
“There is no place for hate and racism in our society. Empathy and shared understanding are a start, but we must do more,” Nadella,52, said in a tweet on Monday (1).
“I stand with the Black and African American community and we are committed to building on this work in our company and in our communities,” said the Hyderabad-born CEO of Microsoft.
Nadella’s Microsoft also said they will be using the platform to amplify voices from the Black and African-American community at the company.
A day earlier, Google CEO Pichai also expressed solidarity with the AfricanAmerican community.
“Today on US Google & YouTube homepages we share our support for racial equality in solidarity with the Black community and in memory of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery & others who don’t have a voice,” Pichai, 47, wrote on Twitter last Sunday (31).
“For those feeling grief, anger, sadness & fear, you are not alone,” Pichai said, sharing a screenshot of the Google search home page which said: “We stand in support of racial equality, and all those who search for it.”
Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi said everyone has a responsibility to recognise “this pain” and the “systemic racism” that has caused it.
“This past week, we’ve seen millions of Americans vocalise their pain in protests across the nation responding to the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmadu Arbery,” Nooyi said in a statement posted on Twitter on Monday with the hashtag Black Lives Matter.
“As we all consider how to heal this wound, I ask that we not lose sight of the power of our voices. I have always believed that confronting bias publicly is essential. If you see a bad actor, say it out loud and set an example for those around you,” Nooyi said.