Corporate America Advancing Racial Equity

The killing of George Floyd and other incidents of racial violence have spotlighted corporate America's role in advancing racial equity. After Floyd's death, several corporations made pledges to advance racial equity in this nation. However, many social justice advocates have instead questioned whether these pledges have been attained or have gone far enough. This course examines the literature and the strategies advocates have used to persuade corporations to go beyond diversity and inclusion programs and how our nation's private sector can help work towards a more fair and just society for all its citizenry. The course uses a framework that provides students with a new pathway for this nation's chief executive officers (CEOs) to lead more equitable businesses. This pathway offers a strategy to achieve a fairer country for all by having companies reimagine their actions within their four walls, in the communities where they are situated, and at the societal level. The students explore the historical context for the current inequities within the US and strategies practitioners use to persuade CEOs to adopt a racial equity framework as part of their business model. A primary focus of the course is to introduce students to the cutting-edge practices utilized by companies that have adopted the racial equity framework.