Apple continues its annual tradition of devoting its home page to celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a single-sentence quote. This year’s quote is from Stride Toward Freedom, King’s memoir of the Montgomery bus boycott.
True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.
The bus boycott began with a simple action by Rosa Parks, and ended in a groundbreaking U.S. Supreme Court ruling …
Like last year, Apple is once again dedicating the entirety of its Apple.com home page to commemorate Marin Luther King Jr Day. A black and white photo fills the entire width and height of the browser, with all product marketing removed to focus on the celebration. The quote used cleverly reflects Apple’s company values in products as well as their goals towards society and ecology: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'”
Apple CEO Tim Cook, who is not known for many video recorded public appearances outside of Apple events, spoke at length regarding equality at an Auburn University event. At the event, Cook accepted Auburn University’s College of Human Sciences Lifetime Achievement award. AllThingsD first wrote about Cook’s appearance and notes Cook’s discussion of two of his inspirations: Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy:
“They sacrificed everything, including their lives, as champions of human rights and of human dignity,” Cook said. “Their images inspire me. They serve as a reminder to me every day that regardless of the path that one chooses, there are fundamental commitments that should be a part of one’s journey.”
Cook also quotes the late Nelson Mandela (who Apple is currently honoring on its homepage). Interestingly, Cook’s quote from Martin Luther King is the same one that he sent via video to Apple employees late in November. “The time is always right to do what’s right,” the quote reads. The video (above) of Cook is well worth a watch for the life lessons it provides. Cook also provides insight into Apple’s approach to making its technologies accessible for everyone.
Apple executives have reached out to employees today in a company wide email urging them to review Apple’s Business Conduct Policy, a document describing how employees should conduct themselves in and outside the company while representing Apple. An email from Apple’s SVP and General Counsel Bruce Sewell (below) was accompanied by a new version of the policy available to employees in iBooks format and a video from CEO Tim Cook discussing the policy.
It’s unclear if there was a situation at Apple that could have prompted the email and video from Apple executives to employees. Apple notes that the policy “explains in very clear terms how you are expected to conduct yourself with our customers, business partners, government agencies, and fellow employees.” The document also covers legal principles “like antitrust and anti-corruption laws” that all employees are expected to follow.
In the video, Tim Cook quotes Martin Luther King Jr saying “The time is always right to do what is right” and urges employees to speak up about other employees not following the code of conduct. Cook’s full quote from the video below:
As Dr. Martin Luther King once said, the time is always right to do what’s right. At Apple, we do the right thing. Even when it’s not easy. If you see something that doesn’t meet our standards, speak up. Whether it’s a quality issue or a business practice, if it affects Apple’s integrity, we need to know about it. Expand Expanding Close
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