In a letter sent to employees today, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun pledged to “turn up the volume on dialogue” about diversity and inclusion — and said the company would boost its support for marginalized communities.
- Calhoun said the new commitments are coming in the wake of a discussion sparked by last month’s death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. “I was most affected by the large number of you who wanted to see us — and me — do more,” Calhoun wrote.
- He said that Boeing is rolling out a “conversation guide for leaders and other resources” to help guide discussions that may not always be comfortable. He also referred to a case about 10 days ago, involving a Boeing employee who was suspended and left the company after making “an abusive and harassing racial remark to a colleague in one of our facilities,” as an sign of the company’s intent to “redouble our determination to drive out behaviors that violate our values and injure our colleagues.”
- “Over the next four years we’re going to double the $25 million we have already invested in partnerships that create a range of opportunities for marginalized communities,” Calhoun said. Boeing isn’t the only aerospace company with a Seattle-area presence that has underscored its commitment to fight racism: Last week, Bob Smith, the CEO of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture, called on employees to “reflect on what can be done and redouble your efforts to build a more just and inclusive world.”
