Walmart donated $ 14 million as part of its commitment to promote racial equity

Following George Floyd’s protests, Walmart has pledged to boost diversity on its own and contribute $ 100 million over five years to help combat systemic racism across the country.

On Monday, the company gave an update on this effort. Walmart and its foundation will distribute the first $ 14.3 million to 16 nonprofits. Grants will target groups addressing racial inequities in a variety of ways, such as educating communities of color about Covid-19 vaccines, reducing debt for students in black historical colleges and universities, and providing access to the Internet and technology for school children. from a distance.

Walmart is one of many companies that have promised to throw their money and weight behind tackling racial disparities after killing Floyd. However, as the country’s largest employer and retailer, its actions have additional significance. The company’s CEO Doug McMillon also leads the business roundtable, a strong corporate voice made up of many of the country’s most prominent CEOs.

When the company made its initial commitment in June, McMillon acknowledged that corporations – including Walmart – need to do more than just write checks. He said the company will do better within its four walls, recruiting and supporting various talents.

Black employees make up about 21% of Walmart’s 1.5 million employees in the United States, according to the company’s latest diversity and inclusion report. However, diversity is fading in the first places of Walmart. About 12% of the company’s managers and 7% of its officers are black.

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

Sims, originally from Arkansas, began working at the retailer as a way to pay off student loans and planned to move into the healthcare industry. However, Walmart said it has found that it could build a career of more than 20 years and advance in leadership positions – something it hopes to make possible for other employees, including other women employees. color. Prior to his new role, he was a senior director of global ethics and compliance at Walmart.

Walmart has made other changes to promote racial equity in recent months. It will share a report on diversity and inclusion twice a year instead of annually. It will work with the country’s largest historical black university, North Carolina A&T State University, to increase the number of black college graduates entering high-demand fields. It has opened two new Walmart Health locations, offering low-cost medical appointments in Chicago in November. He also signed up to the One Ten Coalition, a group of American companies that is committed to training, hiring and promoting one million black Americans over the next decade.

Sims said Walmart is also looking at how its business practices can make a difference as well. For example, it can expand access to affordable health care in needy communities by opening Walmart Health locations, raising businesses owned by blacks using more as providers, and giving job seekers a second chance to re-enter society after involvement in the health care system. criminal justice.

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