Apple CEO Tim Cook calls George Floyd’s death ‘senseless’ in open letter
Saying that Americans "must stand up for one another," Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook published an open letter Thursday in response the protests and upheaval that has wracked the country in the days since the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
Saying that Americans “must stand up for one another,” Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook published an open letter Thursday in response to the protests and upheaval that has wracked the country in the days since the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
In the letter, titled, “Speaking up on racism,” Cook said that “We’ve seen progress since the America I grew up in,” but went on to add that “While our laws have changed, the reality is that their protections are still not universally applied.” Cook called Floyd’s death “senseless,”
“We can have no society worth celebrating unless we can guarantee freedom from fear for every person who gives this country their love, labor, and life,” Cook said.
As CEO of what is arguably the world’s most recognizable company, Cook’s comments are likely to carry considerable weight across the business community. Cook said that the nationwide protests against racism have shown how many black Americans “feel afraid — afraid in your communities, afraid in your daily lives, and, most cruelly of all, afraid in your own skin.”
Cook said Apple has been, and remains committed to equal justice, and opportunity, for Apple employees, and all Americans.
“We’ve always drawn strength from diversity, welcomed people from every walk of life to our stores around the world, and strived to build an Apple that is inclusive of everyone,” Cook said.
Cook’s open letter included many of the same statements and comments he made in an email to Apple employees on Sunday.
Thousands of demonstrators took to Bay Area streets for a sixth-straight day on Wednesday in protests in response to Floyd’s killing. Unlike most of the last week, Wednesday’s demonstrations were largely without major incident.
Last week, Apple opened a handful of its retail stores around the Bay Area for storefront or curbside sales and service after the locations had been closed for two months as part of the regional shelter-in-place efforts aimed and containing the spread of coronavirus. However, Apple closed 11 of its recently opened stores earlier this week in response to widespread looting and vandalism related to protests across the Bay Area. Those stores remained closed on Thursday.