News & Opinion
Apple CEO Tim Cook Donates $2 Million to Anti-Hate Groups After Charlottesville
AP/Matt Dunham
"What occurred in Charlottesville has no place in our country."
August 18 2017 10:33 AM EST
March 07 2019 11:39 PM EST
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"What occurred in Charlottesville has no place in our country."
In the wake of white supremacist and Nazi protests in Charlottesville, Apple CEO Tim Cook has decided to make a strong, effective statement--something President Trump couldn't seem to manage during his disastrous Tuesday press conference. The tech leader, who's also gay, will make two separate $1 million donations to the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League.
The announcement came in an email Cook sent to global Apple employees, asking them all to "stand together" against hate. "Like so many of you, equality is at the core of my beliefs and values," he wrote. "The events of the past several days have been deeply troubling for me, and I've heard from many people at Apple who are saddened, outraged, or confused."
Cook compared hatred to a "cancer." When left unchecked, the CEO says "it destroys everything in its path. Its scars last generations. History has taught us this time and time again."
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He also criticized Trump's delayed response and blaming of both sides. "I disagree with the President and others who believe that there is a moral equivalence between white supremacists and Nazis, and those who oppose them by standing up for human rights," Cook wrote. "Equating the two runs counter to our ideals as Americans."
Apple will notably match donations two-for-one from employees to Cook's chosen anti-hate groups and others until September 30.