EA is putting its money where its mouth is and pledging a sum of $1 million in the fight against racial injustice. The company that has long been criticized for hidden fees and in-game purchases, is donating to organizations like the NAACP. The company has also promised to double-match any of the donations from its employees while giving them an extra day off in order to volunteer.
An official statement was released a few days ago from EA's CEO Andrew Wilson stated that the death of George Floyd was "senseless and tragic." The response comes after a week of unrest for systemic racism across America, and even the world. Protesters have filled the streets of every American state and even in other countries. Andrew Wilson acknowledges in his statement that this is only one unnecessary death of many in US history, but that this has to be the last straw.
There is deep-rooted discrimination that is still unquestionably present towards the African-American / Black community, and it is unacceptable. Racism should not exist in our society. We stand with all of our African-American / Black colleagues and partners, families and friends, and everyone around the world who is ready to see it end.
The $1 million dollars promised by Wilson is said to go to organizations like the Equal Justice Initiative and the NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund. Through the month of June Wilson will be matching his employees' donations through the YourCause internal charity system. Wilson's statement summarizes that the money is not the only action employees should be donating, but encourages his employees to volunteer.
The company will hold an open forum for its employees on June 9th to discuss how to help fight discrimination. EA will also be observing Juneteenth, an unprecedented decision for a company. Juneteenth, also known as Cel-Liberation Day, is a day in the states celebrating the Emancipation Proclamation and the freeing of slaves from unlawful servitude. In an era where silence towards major issues is deafening, hopefully, more companies will follow the example and speak out about racial injustice in the coming weeks.
Source: EA