Apple is awarding $5 million 'Innovation Grants' to 4 historically Black universities
Following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis last summer, prompting global outrage and protests, several big tech companies vowed to support Black and underrepresented communities and diversify their workforce.
The grants by Apple and Google are the latest endeavors by major tech companies investing in programs and higher educational institutions to attract people of color to an industry that's known for having dismal diversity in its workforce. For example, Black professionals make up only 5% of the tech workforce, 3% of tech executives, and 1% of tech founders, according to a recent report by the Oakland, Calif-based Kapor Center.
In December, Bhaskar Chakravorti, dean of global business at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, wrote in the Harvard Business Review that the tech industry desperately needs a new approach to finding and retaining talent who specialize in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. He's suggested companies seek out HBCUs and predominately Black cities with emerging tech hubs like Atlanta.
"To truly make the industry more inclusive, tech companies need to let go of their geographic biases and change the way they recruit, organize teams, and allow employees to work," Chakravorti wrote.