{"id":168335,"date":"2021-02-24T12:43:34","date_gmt":"2021-02-24T17:43:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=168335"},"modified":"2021-02-24T13:14:18","modified_gmt":"2021-02-24T18:14:18","slug":"5-virtue-signaling-corporations-trying-to-prove-their-wokeness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/5-virtue-signaling-corporations-trying-to-prove-their-wokeness\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Virtue Signaling Corporations Trying To Prove Their \u2018Wokeness\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2F5-virtue-signaling-corporations-trying-to-prove-their-wokeness%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=168335&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/GettyImages-1184094970-1200x800-1.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span>Leaked photos from a recent diversity training<\/span> <span>\u2014<\/span> <span>which<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/backlash-hits-coca-cola-after-accusations-of-anti-white-agenda\"><span>encouraged<\/span><\/a> <span>participants to \u201cbe less white\u201d and asserted that \u201cwhite people are socialized to feel that they are inherently superior because they are white\u201d \u2014 recently went viral on social media, with reports that employees are being required to take the training by an American corporation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This unapologetic endorsement of<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/critical-race-theory\"><span>critical race theory<\/span><\/a> <span>\u2014 the ideology which posits that American society is inherently structured for the success of white people \u2014 is by no means a new phenomenon among leading companies. Within weeks of George Floyd\u2019s death in the spring of 2020, the nation\u2019s largest firms<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blackenterprise.com\/black-lives-matter-corporate-america-has-pledged-1-678-billion-so-far\/\"><span>pledged<\/span><\/a> <span>over $1.6 billion to Black Lives Matter \u2014 a group which<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/blacklivesmatter.com\/about\/\"><span>affirms<\/span><\/a> <span>that black people are \u201csystematically targeted for demise\u201d by the state.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Beyond donations to high-profile activist groups, corporations launched additional policies and initiatives meant to show a commitment to social justice issues. However, many of these programs either have next to no impact on the businesses\u2019 bottom lines or exist as thinly-veiled moves to maximize profits. Some companies even announced their programs in spite of their links to persisting human rights abuses abroad, particularly in Xinjiang, China.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Here are five firms intent on virtue signaling their corporate \u201cwokeness.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Apple<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span>In June 2020, Apple<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2020\/06\/11\/apple-racial-equity-and-justice-initiative-100m.html\"><span>announced<\/span><\/a> <span>that it would spend $100 million on racial equity initiatives related to education, economic inequality, and criminal justice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cGrowing up in Alabama during the civil rights movement, I saw firsthand that the only thing that ever made lasting and durable change was people of goodwill putting aside comfort and safety to speak up to march to call for accountability and to do what they could to make a flawed society more perfect,\u201d said CEO Tim Cook.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe unfinished work of racial justice and equality call us all to account,\u201d added the executive on<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tim_cook\/status\/1271113929754685441\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/a><span>. \u201cThings must change, and Apple\u2019s committed to being a force for that change.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Overseas, however, the technology firm has other priorities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Three months before Cook\u2019s statement, the<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspi.org.au\/report\/uyghurs-sale\"><span>Australian Strategic Policy Institute<\/span><\/a> <span>revealed that several Apple suppliers use Uyghur labor sourced from internment camps in the Xinjiang region of China. At least three factories in Apple\u2019s supply chain use Uyghur labor \u2014 including Foxconn Technology\u2019s Zhengzhou facility, where records reflect that Uyghurs work over 100 hours of \u201covertime\u201d per month.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Google<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span>Google devoted $175 million toward racial issues following the death of George Floyd.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cCreating meaningful change starts within our own company,\u201d<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/inside-google\/company-announcements\/commitments-racial-equity\"><span>wrote<\/span><\/a> <span>CEO Sundar Pichai in a blog post. \u201cStrengthening our commitment to racial equity and inclusion will help Google build more helpful products for our users and the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Among other initiatives, Google earmarked $100 million worth of investments in black-led venture capital firms and startups, $15 million in job training programs, and $10 million to \u201cincrease equity, representation and inclusion,\u201d across Android, Chrome, Google Play, and other offerings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The firm also handed $1 million checks to the Movement for Black Lives, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and other activist organizations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Despite its efforts in the United States, Google was also invoked in the Australian Strategic Policy Institute report as a beneficiary of Chinese slave labor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Microsoft<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span>Joining Apple and Google in supporting massive racial equity programs is fellow technology giant, Microsoft.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cOver the past several weeks, the senior leadership team, board of directors, and I have spent time reflecting, listening, learning, and discussing what role the company \u2014 and all of us collectively \u2014 must play in helping to drive change, both within Microsoft and in our communities,\u201d<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.microsoft.com\/blog\/2020\/06\/23\/addressing-racial-injustice\/\"><span>explained<\/span><\/a> <span>CEO Satya Nadella in June 2020. \u201cToday, we are making commitments to address racial injustice and inequity for the Black and African American community in the United States.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Like other companies, Microsoft directed $150 million toward \u201cdiversity and inclusion,\u201d which involved doubling the number of African-American managers within the next five years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Nevertheless, like other companies, Microsoft reportedly benefits from forced labor in Xinjiang.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Amazon<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span>Shipping and cloud computing giant Amazon<\/span> <span>\u2014<\/span> <span>which<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2018\/10\/02\/tech\/amazon-minimum-wage\/index.html#:~:text=Amazon%20is%20raising%20its%20minimum%20wage%20to%20$15,than%20250,000%20Amazon%20employees,%20plus%20100,000%20seasonal%20workers.\"><span>announced<\/span><\/a> <span>a $15 per hour base pay for all employees in the United States three years ago<\/span> <span>\u2014<\/span> <span>is currently<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/amazon-wants-15-federal-minimum-wage\"><span>pushing<\/span><\/a> <span>the federal government to increase the minimum wage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead,\u201d Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said in 2018. \u201cWe\u2019re excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe\u2019ll leave it to Congress and professionals to decide what the right number is,\u201d remarked Dave Clark, the current head of Amazon\u2019s retail business. \u201cBut for us, that number is $15.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Though executives marketed the pay raise as a move toward greater workforce equity, paying such a wage is nearly impossible for most American small businesses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2021\/02\/10\/one-third-of-small-businesses-say-15-minimum-wage-means-layoffs.html\"><span>CNBC<\/span><\/a> <span>and SurveyMonkey\u2019s most recent Small Business Survey shows that one-third of small businesses will have to lay off workers if the federal minimum wage rises to $15 per hour. Over half of small business owners oppose raising the wage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In contrast, Amazon<\/span> <span>\u2014<\/span> <span>which<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/263264\/top-companies-in-the-world-by-market-capitalization\/\"><span>boasts<\/span><\/a> <span>a market capitalization of $1.2 trillion and is currently the third largest company in the United States<\/span> <span>\u2014<\/span> <span>can afford to pay employees above prevailing market rates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>More broadly, economists agree that the federal minimum wage is not an effective policy tool. A 2019<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/amazon-wants-15-federal-minimum-wage\"><span>survey<\/span><\/a> <span>revealed that 74% of economists oppose raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Only 6% agreed that a $15 pay floor would effectively target poverty, and 43% want to see the policy eliminated entirely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Likewise, a<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2021\/02\/08\/raising-minimum-wage-to-15-would-cost-1point4-million-jobs-cbo-says.html\"><span>Congressional Budget Office<\/span><\/a> <span>analysis shows that a $15 minimum wage would lead to a net loss of half a million jobs in the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Walmart<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span>Alongside Amazon, retail giant Walmart \u2014 which outcompetes small businesses across the United States \u2014<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nydailynews.com\/new-york\/brooklyn\/study-proves-walmart-super-stores-kill-local-small-businesses-article-1.140129\"><span>boosted<\/span><\/a> <span>its wages in an effort framed as \u201cinvestment in the people\u201d of its workforce.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cOn March 13, we\u2019ll be raising pay for our store associates in digital and stocking workgroups,\u201d<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate.walmart.com\/newsroom\/2021\/02\/18\/walmart-u-s-ceo-john-furner-to-associates-a-memorable-year-and-an-investment-in-you\"><span>announced<\/span><\/a> <span>President and CEO John Furner in February 2021. \u201c425,000 store associates in these frontline roles will receive a raise, with starting rates moving to $13 \u2013 $19 per hour, based on the store\u2019s location and market.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Walmart also joined with Big Tech companies in its nods toward racial equity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Following the death of George Floyd, Furner\u2019s predecessor Doug McMillon told employees that the firm would invest $100 million over five years to establish a center on racial equity. The center aims to \u201cadvance economic opportunity and healthier living, including issues surrounding the social determinants of health, strengthening workforce development and related educational systems, and support criminal justice reform with an emphasis on examining barriers to opportunity faced by those exiting the system.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThere\u2019s this moment here where the country is experiencing horrendous pain as a result of what happened with George Floyd\u2019s murder and all of us seeing that on TV, but we all know that that was just one isolated event of many,\u201d McMillon<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2020\/06\/05\/walmart-ceo-doug-mcmillon-said-ceos-must-advance-racial-equality.html\"><span>said<\/span><\/a> <span>on CNBC\u2019s Squawk Box. \u201cThis isn\u2019t about just one tragic event. It\u2019s about what\u2019s happened in our country for a long, long time and what\u2019s happening today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><em>member<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Leaked photos from a recent diversity training \u2014 which encouraged participants to \u201cbe less white\u201d and asserted that \u201cwhite people are socialized to feel that they are inherently superior because &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2274130,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/GettyImages-1184094970-1200x800-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"5 Virtue Signaling Corporations Trying To Prove Their \u2018Wokeness\u2019","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-168335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/GettyImages-1184094970-1200x800-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"5 Virtue Signaling Corporations Trying To Prove Their \u2018Wokeness\u2019","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2274130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}