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Amid widespread protests in response to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis, many businesses are speaking up to declare their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
On June 4, Uber launched a new feature on the Uber Eats app that will waive delivery fees for orders placed at Black-owned restaurants in the United States and Canada.
The food delivery app will support Black restaurant-owners with this feature through the end of 2020.
When customers open the app, they will see a banner calling on them to “support Black-owned restaurants,” and there will be an option to find such establishments that deliver to their area.
In addition, the company will donate $1 million to the Equal Justice Initiative and Center for Policing Equity.
The company is also committed to diversifying its workforce by tying senior executives’ pay to measurable progress on diversity goals.
The changes and policies were announced in an email to customers from Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, which was also posted to Twitter on June 4:
https://t.co/j2HXSHT2wX pic.twitter.com/3NlmgZeYa5
— Uber (@Uber) June 5, 2020
“Let me start by saying I wish I never had to write this email,” Khosrowshahi wrote. “I wish that the lives of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and countless others weren’t so violently cut short.”
Before laying out Uber’s specific initiatives to combat racism, Khosrowshahi noted that he’s been “given hope this week by hundreds of thousands of peaceful protestors demanding change. I am committed to being part of that change.”
He ended the message by acknowledging that despite the company’s efforts, there is still much work to be done.
“We know this isn’t enough,” he wrote. “It won’t be enough until we see true racial justice. But we plan to work day in and day out to improve, learn and grow as a company.”
“Lastly, let me speak clearly and unequivocally: Black Lives Matter,” he added.
Kate Streit lives in Chicago. She enjoys stand-up comedy, mystery novels, memoirs, summer and pumpkin spice anything. More.
