PHILADELPHIA—Comcast CEO Brian Roberts has announced a $100 million, multiyear plan that the company will enact in an effort to “fight injustice and inequality against race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or ability,” according to a new blog post.
Roberts says Comcast will commit $75 million in cash and $25 million in media over the next three years. This will be in addition to continuing contributions to organizations supporting underrepresented communities through the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation and social impact groups, per Roberts.
Craig Robinson, NBCUniversal’s executive vice president and chief diversity officer, is leading the efforts, coordinating with business leaders across Comcast, NBCUniversal and Sky to build programs, allocate resources and partner with national and local organizations. Each of the companies will be tasked with creating sustainable programs within their business and soliciting ideas from employees.
Comcast has highlighted five key areas of focus at the onset:
Social justice: Partnering with and providing grants to organizations working to eradicate injustice and inequity, including (but not limited to) the National Urban League, the Equal Justice Initiative, the NAACP, the National Action Network and the Community Justice Action Fund.
Employees: Comcast plans to accelerate efforts in areas of diversity and inclusion, including advancement, hiring and training. Plan to host town halls, speaker series and mandatory anti-racism and anti-bias training to attempt to have employees better understand race-related issues. The company will also provide additional financial support to our Employee Resource Groups and invest in its diverse talent.
Awareness & Education: Putting the company’s media resources into highlighting Black voices and Black stories, and educating viewers on diverse and inclusive cultures, perspectives and experiences. This will include a series of town halls by NBC News, and using the X1, Flex, Peacock and Sky platforms to promote and amplify multicultural content.
Digital Equity: More support will be given to connecting people of low-income communities to the internet, which the company says is disproportionately communities of color. They will also increase access to digital skills training for young people and upskilling adults. Some organizations that Comcast will work with include Black Girls Code and BUILD.
Small Business Opportunity: Committing funds to help small businesses that have been affected by COVID-19, with a substantial portion going to businesses owned by people of color. This will also include airtime and commercial production. In addition, Comcast will create new LIFT Labs program for Black founders, invest in diverse entrepreneurs through Comcast Ventures and accelerators and expand the Catalyst program, which focuses on investing in Black, Latinx and female entrepreneurs.
“We know that Comcast alone can’t remedy this complex issue,” Roberts said. “But you have my commitment that our company will try to play an integral role in driving lasting reform. Together, we hope to help create a more equitable, just and inclusive society.”
