USA Today reports that civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson met with Apple CEO Tim Cook yesterday ahead of a rally scheduled for Thursday outside Apple’s headquarters to raise awareness for a growing income gap and diversity issues in Silicon Valley. Apple also issued a statement and said Cook’s meeting with Jackson was “productive” and that it remains “deeply committed to diversity” and human rights issues:
In a statement, Apple spokeswoman Kristen Huguet said: “Apple is deeply committed to diversity within our company and the advancement of human rights around the world. We had a productive meeting with Rev. Jesse Jackson and we value his input. We look forward to working with him, our employees, customers and other stakeholders as we look for ways to do more.”
In another statement, Rev. Jesse Jackson said he was “impressed” by his conversation with Cook and that the Apple CEO “has a real vision for Apple and he sees the value in inclusiveness.”
Earlier this year Rev. Jesse Jackson urged Tim Cook in a letter to take the lead in the treatment of low-paid contractors like security guards. “Contract workers […] do everything from driving shuttle buses to cooking in the cafeteria. But as the tech workers they serve are showered with eye-popping perks, service workers often struggle to make ends meet in the pricey Bay Area, advocates say,” Jackson said in the letter.
On Thursday Jackson along with others plan to protest outside Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino to, according to USA Today, “shine a light on the growing wealth gap in Silicon Valley.”
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I’m sure they’ll make stride in this area soon.
And I’m sure the visit also included a hefty “donation” by Apple to Jackson’s Rainbow-PUSH coalition.
And thar’s when I dump all my Apple gear.
In other words – we want the same perks for less skilled and easier to replace employees or we’ll picket you and force you to! If Jesse shows me minority employees with the same skills making less than caucasian counterparts, then sign me up.
Why did you insert race here. Diversity means more than just Black/White. There are LGBT(Gender) to address. There is age discrimination. We compute in binary but as humans with rational thought we have the ability to think beyond binary limitations.
While its not explicitly stated, are we going to pretend anything that Jesse Jackson protests *isnt* motivated by race?
I wonder if Tim Cook is going to play WTHDJJS with Tim Conway, Jr. on Thursday? #wthdjjs #kfiam640
Shake Down!
Exactly!
Jesse Jackson is nothing but a extortionist and a racist. These people that meet with him have no backbone or its out of greed. Paula Dean was out of greed, I mean she has more than money than she could ever use. She was talking about her past. If you grew up in the 50’s and early 60’s that is just the way it was. I would have told him to go pound sand. Jackson has done nothing for Black people only for him self. Now if you tell people what you would say meaning the N word when you were growing up you have to kiss Jackson’s ass our go to the Paula Dean rehab school. Makes me sick.
This wins the award for most awkward picture ever.