Anti-Racism Pledge for CEOs

The Coalition for Racial Justice & Equity aims to advance racial equity for all to transform our nation and achieve social justice. As a conduit for change, the Coalition is committed to tangible impact on our communities and our nation.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are essential to ensure employee engagement and belonging in the workplace. Today’s challenges, however, reach far beyond the workplace. Centuries of dehumanizing injustice and systemic racism have inflicted deep suffering in our country. It is imperative that organizations and their leaders commit to dismantling systemic racism through strategic and intentional racial equity efforts.

To drive meaningful and deliberate change, the Coalition calls on leaders from all sectors across the nation to take action and commit to our Anti-racism Pledge for CEOs. By signing the pledge, CEOs commit to start where they are and move forward with intention to actively dismantle organizational structures and norms perpetuating racism.

Anti-Racism Pledge for CEOs

  • Acknowledging racism is a critical component for understanding racial inequities and structural racism
  • Acknowledge that privilege and complicit bias exist in this country and must be eradicated from both organizations and individuals to create a more equitable society.
  • Create the conditions for courageous conversations to address racism in the larger society and in the organization.
  • Assess the organization to determine if systems, processes, practices, and policies are exclusionary.
  • Implement a strategy to correct inequities within systems, processes, practices, and policies, with an emphasis on racial inequities.
  • Commit to a meaningful antiracism approach to drive action and change.
  • Tie antiracist efforts to the organization’s values, mission, and vision.
  • Galvanize leaders across the organization to hold themselves and others accountable for driving change and commitment to racial justice.
  • Make inclusion and belonging – not only diversity – a top priority for the organization.