ViacomCBS pledges $5 million to social justice organizations

ViacomCBS

As tragedy and ongoing protests have brought systemic racism to the forefront of our attention, ViacomCBS is choosing to act. Reported in Deadline, a staff memo from CEO Bob Bakish on Friday detailed the efforts the company will take, including the commitment of $5 million dollars, to be divided between several social justice organizations.

“The world has missed the mark on fighting for social justice and equality and we need to do more,” Bakish said in the memo. The $5 million commitment will be divided between several organizations, including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Equal Justice Initiative, Amnesty International, National Bail Out, The Bail Project and Community Coalition. A large part of the ongoing effort at ViacomCBS includes expanding and accelerating existing inclusion programs, such as the Black Employee Resource Team, CBS Pride (which focuses on the LGBTQ+ community), and the CBS Veterans Group. Employees can also choose to participate in a donation matching program which, according to Bakish, “has seen record levels of engagement over the past two weeks.”

“This is a sustained, ongoing commitment from our company that won’t end when the current outrage and news cycle inevitably does,” Bakish said. “We fundamentally believe that a more diverse and inclusive company [...] is good for business, and our communities.”

In the memo, Bakish also announced Virtual Community Day, set for June 18. This initiative will allow ViacomCBS employees “opportunities to connect and engage around social justice and other ongoing community needs.” Bakish encouraged employees to participate in any way they choose, with company resources being made available to tailor the individual experience.