Amplifiers

11Amplifying Corporate Racial Justice

The killing of George Floyd by law enforcement kicked off a series of protests demanding societal change. His death was yet another tragedy resulting from racial injustice. Protesters from all walks of life took to the streets demanding change. The time is now for Amplifiers to enact positive change in measurable outcomes for corporate racial justice. We are seeing individual and corporate Amplifiers step forward with innovative solutions to address some of the underlying challenges. John Hope Bryant, founder of Operation HOPE, said to me recently, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” He has partnered with the visionary leader and Amplifier CEO of Delta Airlines, Ed Bastian, to create the HOPE Inside the Workplace Program for Delta employees across the nation.¹ This is an example of a company investing beyond the platitudes in a press release and committing time and resources to genuinely help improve financial literacy and provide coaching to their employees.

I met Bryant at a family wedding in 2010. Bryant describes Operation HOPE as a nonprofit and for-purpose organization working to disrupt poverty. He was inspired to found Operation HOPE back in 1992 in Los Angeles where he shared his vision for the city emerging from the ashes of the Rodney King riots. It was a tall order. Bryant had no experience starting a company, nor were there any example companies of the kind Bryant was seeking to create.

A few years later, I was asked to ...