Apple announced 30 million dollars in new commitments for its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI) supporting students, innovators, and advocacy organizations that are leading the charge in creating a more inclusive, more just world.
Outside of Apple’s new project to include a Global Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Equity Innovation Hub, there is also expanded education initiatives for community colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) among other things.
This is to build upon Apple’s $100 million initial investment in REJI and will help elevate equity-focused solutions across the academic and advocacy landscapes. As 60 percent of undergraduate students at HSIs and HBCUs are Hispanic/Latinx or Black, Apple’s new projects will help equip the next generation of students and leaders to dismantle structures that perpetuate inequities and institutional racism.
“The call to build a more just and equitable world is an urgent one, and at Apple, we feel a collective responsibility to help drive progress forward,” Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO said in a press release. “The commitments we’re sharing will help the young leaders of today and tomorrow start new businesses, develop groundbreaking innovations, and inspire countless others to join the fight for justice. We’re grateful to all of the trailblazing organizations we’re partnering with for their tireless dedication to equity as we work toward a better future together.”
Tennessee State University will serve as the national hub for training educators and supporting peer institutions as part of its partnership with Apple. Morehouse is already among the eight regional hubs with Clark Atlanta University (CAU) becoming one of the 10 new Community Coding Centers.
“We continue to move with momentum to ensure our scholars at Clark Atlanta University have access to a world-class education and that mission includes offering initiatives that focus on technology and enhancing their analytical thinking skills,” Clark Atlanta University president, George T. French, Jr. said in a press release. “We want our students to exercise their creativity, be competitive in the world of technology and be included in the technology career pipeline. Initiatives such as this brings them one step closer to that goal.”
As part of its Community Education Initiative, Apple is supporting Clark Atlanta University with equipment and ongoing professional development to become the pre-eminent HBCU C2 community center to bring coding and creativity to Atlanta.
Faculty and educators will learn about coding and app development, and work with Apple to identify opportunities to incorporate its comprehensive Everyone Can Code and Everyone Can Create curricula, which utilizes the easy-to-learn Swift programming language.
Support from Apple also includes mobile iPad and Mac labs, opportunities for student jobs and scholarships, and funding for staff.
