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American video game company Electronic Arts (EA) has outlined the steps it is taking to combat racial injustice, beginning with a USD$1million donation.
CEO Andrew Wilson shared how the company intends to commit to the cause on a long-term basis in a note to EA employees, which has since been made public on the company’s official website. “This is a long-term commitment, and I want to share some additional steps we are taking today,” he wrote.
The company will be donating $1million to “organisations dedicated to the fight for racial justice in the US and against discrimination around the world”, such as the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund.
“We are deepening our support of organisations working to stop systemic racial injustice, fight discrimination and protect human rights in the US and beyond.”
Wilson has also announced that the company will double match any funds that have been donated to both the EJI and NAACP, as well as any other local organisations through the company’s YourCause program during the month of June.
Wilson and his team at EA are also keenly aware that the fight against racial injustice isn’t just a one-off event. As such, the company says is also launching a new program that “give[s] everyone in the company an additional paid day each year to apply to volunteering in your community. With all of our employees around the world, that will represent more than 75,000 hours applied to the change we can make.”
In addition, a Community Conversation open to the entire company will be held on June 9. “I look forward to seeing and hearing from many of you about your thoughts and feelings on these issues, what we can do in our community at Electronic Arts, and where we must focus our efforts to make an impact fighting bias, discrimination and injustice in today’s world,” Wilson wrote.
The company will celebrate the upcoming Juneteenth holiday, also known as Freedom Day, on June 19 with an additional company-wide volunteering day, and will engage in forums and virtual activities planned by its Black Electronic Arts Team, which is a part of the company’s Employee Resource Groups programme.
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