In its advertising products, Google has blocked companies from using racial justice terms like Black Lives Matter while allowing advertisers to search and place their content on tens of millions of videos tagged with white nationalist terms like White Power or White Lives Matter. The proponent of the racial equity audit proposal, Nathan Cummings Foundation, is concerned that many of Alphabets business practices are enabling racism and discrimination, posing legal, financial, and reputational risk.. Input from civil rights organizations, employees, and customers should be considered in determining the specific matters to be analyzed. Kellogg Foundation has found that [b]y 2050, our country stands to realize an $8 trillion gain in GDP by closing the U.S. racial equity gap. [28]. In addition to our ongoing diversity and anti-discrimination efforts, as we grapple with the effects of COVID-19, now more than ever we need to be a platform for economic empowerment that can help hosts, including Black residents, keep their homes and avoid displacement from their communities.. (go back), 100Goldman Sachs Proxy Statement, supra note 35. As the ESG movement gains momentum, and as the new wave of investors who factor ESG concerns into their investment decisions gain a larger share of the market, companies are being advised to revisit their current policies and practices under the ESG lens. Some businesses commit to racial equity audits to jumpstart internal reforms. Wenah herself has been working on this project for many years. To start off the 2022 proxy season, the civil rights audit shareholder proposal at Apple, Inc. received support from 54 percent of shares voted, while at government services company Maximus, holders of 64 percent of shares voted in favor in early March. Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 4 million Hosts who havewelcomed 1.4 billionguest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Otherwise, these proponents posit, a lackluster or hastily conducted Racial Equity Audit or failure to take meaningful action in response to an audit may actually have the opposite effect for the implementing institutioninstead of insulating the company from potential proposals demanding Racial Equity Audits, faulty or perfunctory audits may instead create a target on the institutions back for ESG activists in the following years. (go back), 134 ISS Opens Global Annual Benchmark Policy Survey and Separate Climate Survey, ISS, July 28, 2021, available at https://insights.issgovernance.com/posts/iss-opens-global-annual-benchmark-policy-survey-and-separate-climate-survey/. Legislative or regulatory requirements are not without their own risks, and compliance with any such minimum standards would not be fool proof to insulate a company from potential ESG proposals and proxy campaigns. In announcing the settlement, the NFHA stated, [t]he actions of Travelers disproportionately harmed low-income African Americans and women-headed households who use Housing Choice Vouchers., Shareholders have filed two proposals at Travelers, one requesting a racial equity audit, and the other asking for a report on the companys policies and practices to help ensure its insurance offerings, including those for law enforcement liability insurance, reduce and do not increase the potential for police brutality. https://www.sec.gov/news/public-statement/lee-climate-change-disclosures, https://www.sec.gov/news/public-statement/coates-esg-disclosure-keeping-pace-031121, https://www.activistinsight.com/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2021/06/InsightiaESGActivism-1.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=greenfin&utm_content=2021-06-30, https://www.trilincglobal.com/what-is-esg/, https://www.businessinsider.com/patagonia-mission-environmentalism-good-for-business-2018-12, https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/literature/fact-sheet/blk-responsible-investment-guidelines-us.pdf, https://www.issgovernance.com/file/policy/active/americas/US-Voting-Guidelines.pdf, https://www.reuters.com/article/exxon-shareholders-engine-no-1/exxon-faces-proxy-fight-launched-by-new-activist-firm-engine-no-1-idUSKBN28H2IO, https://www.socinvestmentgroup.com/critical-tool-for-shareholders, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-20/racism-and-inequity-have-cost-the-u-s-16-trillion-wall-street-economist-says, https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2020/02/Starbucks-Civil-Rights-Assessment-2020-Update.pdf, https://www.forbes.com/sites/korihale/2021/01/20/starbucks-steps-up-its-racial-justice-outreach-with-100-million-pledge/?sh=53b94b63389c, https://www.npr.org/2020/07/07/887628306/opinion-companies-have-a-duty-to-defend-democracy, https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/business%20functions/organization/our%20insights/delivering%20through%20diversity/delivering-through-diversity_full-report.ashx, https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/best-esg-funds, https://about.fb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Civil-Rights-Audit-Final-Report.pdf, https://www.forbes.com/sites/bhaktimirchandani/2021/06/28/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-2021-proxy-season/?sh=2e475fae7f5e, https://content.irmagazine.com/story/ir-magazine-summer-2021.pdf, https://about.bankofamerica.com/annualmeeting/static/media/BAC_2021_ProxyStatement_ADA.612694a6.pdf, https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/831001/000120677421000735/citi3828191-def14a.htm, https://exchange.iccr.org/node/88686/text, https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000019617/000001961721000275/a2021proxystatement.htm, https://www.sec.gov/news/speech/lee-climate-esg-board-of-directors, https://www.asyousow.org/our-work/social-justice/racial-justice, https://news.yahoo.com/big-us-companies-pushed-tally-014418300.html, https://news.bloomberglaw.com/banking-law/goldman-citi-stave-off-investor-calls-for-racial-audits-1, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1998-05-28/html/98-14121.htm, https://www.sec.gov/divisions/corpfin/cf-noaction/14a-8/2021/ctwcitigroup022621-14a8.pdf. There are three essential features of an effective racial equity audit: The audit should be independent, and conducted by a firm with civil rights expertise; There must be robust stakeholder engagement to uncover issues across a company's products and services, workforce practices, and corporate policies; and Shareholder proposals come from a variety of proponents, including individual investors, labor unions, public pension funds, shareholder activists and institutional investors and such proposals often focus on the environment, corporate governance, executive compensation and social issues. If a company lags behind in this quickly developing area, we believe shareholders may become more willing to launch shareholder campaigns focused on ESG issues, including demanding objective results through Racial Equity Audits. Color of Change successfully called for and worked with AirBnB to undertake such an audit. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. (go back), 126BlackRock Audit Proposal, available at https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d374de8aae9940001c8ed59/t/60216432f41c694416fcceb5/1612801075053/BlackRock+2021+racial+equity+audit+proposal+final+%281%29.pdf. Some, including Starbucks, Facebook and AirBnB, have already commissioned racial equity audits. [22]. The increasing focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations at public companies, including this years highly publicized proxy contest at Exxon Mobil Corporation (Exxon), has demonstrated the growing importance of understanding ESG and the implications it can have for investors and companies. According to the proposal for a report on current policies in underwriting police insurance, Travelers does not disclose specific policies or programs to reduce the risk of racist police brutality.. Further, companies wishing to stay ahead of the curve may start by critically and objectively looking at their current internal practices and policies relating to equity and inclusion and identifying areas in need of improvement. As a result, Engine No. 1s unprecedented victory, with three of its director nominees being elected to Exxons board at its 2021 annual meetingsending a clear message that environmental concerns and proactive planning are deeply important to Exxons shareholders. Concerns related to workforce diversity, treatment of minority workers, environmental justice in communities of color, surveillance, and civil rights are just some of the controversies that have troubled Amazon. [114] For example, current and former Amazon employees have accused the company of allowing racism to permeate its operations. (go back), 128SEIU and Change to Wins investment funds pushing for racial diversity in financial institutions, available at https://www.seiu.org/blog/2021/4/seiu-and-change-to-wins-investment-funds-pushing-for-racial-diversity-in-financial-institutions. https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/34-40018.htm (citing Reebok Intl Ltd. (Mar. In this way legislatures and/or regulatory authorities have the ability to serve as the catalyst for change and wider-reaching adoption by forcing companies that might have been unlikely or slow to act on their own to adopt such policies. [60], A number of other high-profile companies and financial institutions have been approached either by shareholders or civil rights advocates about conducting Racial Equity Audits. He agreed and was personally concerned that there was an unacceptable lack of urgency around Airbnb's previous attempts to address allegations of racial bias within the Airbnb community, and vowed that such unconsciousness would not (go back), 48Webinar, Pamela Coukos, Co-Founder of Working Ideal, supra note 23; supra note 27. In August 2021, a National Labor Relations Board hearing officers report on a union election there found that the company committed multiple violations of employees rights. Cacace actively holds the position of Director of Anti-Discrimination & Equity Programs for Airbnb. The Facebook audit began at the behest and encouragement of the civil rights community and some members of Congress, proceeded with Facebooks cooperation, and [was] intended to help the company identify, prioritize, and implement sustained and comprehensive improvements to the way it impacts civil rights. [56] The audit process included interviewing over 100 civil rights organizations, several hundred more advocates as well as members of Congress. We will continue to urge Airbnb to thoughtfully engage members of our communities in developing solutions to support long-time Black residents at risk of displacement from their neighborhoods.. Racial Equity Audits may also find that a companys existing policies and practices are not sufficient to address or may be perpetuating systemic social issues. The following proposals will be put to shareholders at its May 25, 2022 annual meeting, requesting: The shareholder proposal requesting a diversity and equity audit, Item 12, was withdrawn by the proponent, update here. Shareholder activist Engine No. [48] New York State Comptroller Thomas F. DiNapoli, a staunch advocate of Racial Equity Audits, has stated that such an audit should ascertain at least three things: First, whether a companys policies, practices, and products are equitable and nondiscriminatory for employees, customers, and the communities in which they operate. (go back), 10ESG Activism Becomes the Norm, ESG Activism, Insightia, 2021, available at https://www.activistinsight.com/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2021/06/InsightiaESGActivism-1.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=greenfin&utm_content=2021-06-30. In 2016, this team launched the Airbnb Community Commitment, a prompt that asks Airbnb users to treat all people on the platform with respect, and without judgment or bias. Only those who accepted the commitment were allowed to continue using Airbnb. [105] Comptroller DiNapoli was joined by other Amazon shareholders [106] in requesting Amazons board of directors to commission a Racial Equity Audit that would analyze two main issues: (1) Amazons impacts on civil rights, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and (2) the impacts of those issues on Amazons business. [107] In response, Amazon sent a letter to the SEC seeking to exclude the proposal from its 2021 proxy materials. These companies have asserted that they disagree with the approach of Racial Equity Audit proposals, but are aligned with [their] stated goal of addressing racial inequity in the financial sector. [96], For example, the board of directors of Citi recommended a vote against the Racial Equity Audit proposal included in its 2021 proxy statement, noting that [a]s recently as September 2020, Citi released a 104 page report on the economic cost of Black inequality in the United States titled Closing the Racial Inequality Gaps, and said its efforts on these issues are available to the public. (go back), 29Webinar, Susan Baker, Director of Shareholder Advocacy, Trillium Asset Management, supra note 23. Airbnb has consistently engaged in fighting bias and discrimination on its platform since 2016, after its first civil rights audit, authored by Laura Murphy, former Director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Washington Legislative Office and President of Laura Murphy & Associates. 14B, September 15, 2004, available at https://www.sec.gov/interps/legal/cfslb14b.htm. These votes follow a 2021 season in which eight racial equity audit proposals were proposed at companies in the S&P 500, seven of which received more than 20 percent support. (go back), 24Heres What Companies Are Promising to Do to Fight Racism, The New York Times, Gillian Friedman, August 23, 2020, available at https://www.nytimes.com/article/companies-racism-george-floyd-protests.html. [108] Amazon argued that, regardless of the proposal being framed in the form of a request for a report, this did not change the fact that the subject matter of the proposed report is within [Amazons] ordinary business and thus excludable under Rule 14a-8(i)(7). The following proposals will be put to shareholders at its May 19, 2022 annual meeting: The following proposals will be put to shareholders at its June 1, 2022 annual meeting: Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube, faces nine shareholder proposals this year on issues relating to diversity, racism, lobbying activity, and platform use problems facing the company. 16, 1992)). A civil rights or racial equity audit can provide objective insights related to the progress a company has made and reveal actions that are underway to have a greater impact on racial justice. The policy asks hosts to treat guests with respect and without judgment or bias based on factors like race. Id. [94] In the financial industry, BlackRocks decision distinguishes it from other financial institutions that have asked shareholders to vote against similar audit proposals and/or have sought no-action relief from the SEC. (go back), 34Starbucks Steps Up Its Racial Justice Outreach With $100 Million Pledge, Forbes, Kori Hale, January 20, 2021, available at https://www.forbes.com/sites/korihale/2021/01/20/starbucks-steps-up-its-racial-justice-outreach-with-100-million-pledge/?sh=53b94b63389c. Airbnb also consulted with Antony Haynes, Associate Dean of Albany Law School and Director of CyberSecurity and Privacy Law, and Cathy ONeil and Jacob Appel, of algorithmic auditing consultancy ORCAA. (go back), 56Facebooks Civil Rights AuditFinal Report, Facebook, July 8, 2020, available at https://about.fb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Civil-Rights-Audit-Final-Report.pdf. (go back), 4ESG investing: Discover funds that reflect what matters most to you, The Vanguard Group, Inc., available at https://investor.vanguard.com/investing/esg/. Not only are Racial Equity Audits designed to help inform investors about their current and future investments from a social and financial perspective, but are also intended to help companies craft their policies and practices to achieve their social justice goals. By staying in the project, users will be helping to create a new benchmark to uncover, measure, and fight discrimination on Airbnb. . 25 percent representation of people of color on the board, far higher premiums for auto insurance in Black neighborhoods as opposed to white neighborhoods, lower payouts in homeowner insurance claims for Black neighborhoods, identifying officers engaged in risky policing behaviors and pricing them out, largest home improvement retailer in North America. [69], Proponents contend that Racial Equity Audits would help public companies identify, prioritize, remedy and avoid adverse impacts on nonwhite stakeholders and communities of color [70] and would help a companys board of directors assess such companys behavior through a racial equity lens in order to obtain a complete picture of how it contributes to, and could help dismantle, systemic racism. [71]. [55], Some companies have independently engaged in Racial Equity Audits or similar internal reviews, usually in response to external pressures. [95], Companies Recommended Voting Against Racial Equity Audit Proposals. For example, a 2017 study found that across 72 predominantly Black New York City neighborhoods, Airbnb hosts were five times more likely to be white. By offering such guidance, companies may find it easier to voluntarily implement Racial Equity Audit policies. Civil rights. S7-11-19, available at https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2020/33-10825.pdf; New Human Capital Disclosure Requirements, Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, Margaret Engel, February 6, 2021, available at https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2021/02/06/new-human-capital-disclosure-requirements/. In 2016, Airbnb released its own audit into discrimination and bias on its service. Home Depots PAC donated more than $450,000 in the 2019-20 election cycle, and more than $1.5 million in the past three cycles to the Members of Congress who objected to certifying the election results on January 6, 2021. BlackRock opposed nearly all shareholder proposals directly addressing racial justice issues, including two proposals at Amazon seeking disclosure regarding hate-promoting products and effects of its facial recognition technology on people of color. As ESG issues garner more media attention and as younger generations move into the investing space, these issues and related disclosures may become increasingly important to consumers, investors and other stakeholders. Bringing in external partners provides critical feedback and, ultimately, produces better products. [53] Advocates believe it is critical that the audit be conducted by an independent third party in order to ensure integrity and credibility throughout the process. According to Bloomberg, Glass Lewis has broadly said conducting the audits would help companies reduce risks of high-profile controversies that may result in customer and employee attrition, regulatory inquiries and significant fines, and that [g]iven broad societal changes, it is particularly important for consumer-facing companies, which depend on their customers trust and loyalty, to address issues of racial equity. [102] On the other hand, according to Bloomberg, ISS has stated that racial audits arent warranted because companies are taking sufficient meaningful actions to address racial inequities such as expanding opportunities for people and communities of color, as well as improving the diversity and inclusion of its workforces. [103] The following chart sets forth the recommendations ISS and Glass Lewis made with respect to each Racial Equity Audit proposal in the 2021 proxy season: Source: ISS Corporate Solutions and Proxy Insight, During the 2021 proxy season, Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon) faced a shareholder proposal requesting the company to conduct a Racial Equity Audit. [14], ISS and others have published a number of reports that have found that addressing social and environmental concerns correlates with companies either currently experiencing or having the potential to experience increased growth and profitability. (go back), 86See J&J No-Action Letter, supra note 78. According to Laura Murphy, a prominent civil rights leader and civil rights auditor, a civil rights audit is an independent, systematic examination of significant civil rights and racial equity issues that may exist in a company and provides a plan of action to address those issues in a thorough, deliberate, timely, and transparent manner. Companies and in turn shareholders face significant risks if civil rights problems are not remedied, including reputational, regulatory, and litigation risks. We are honored to partner with Color Of Change to help us take this work to the next level, to help us understand fully when discrimination occurs, how unconscious bias is manifested on the platform, and the effectiveness of our policies. . New York State Common Retirement Fund et al. [68] Several of the supporting statements for Racial Equity Audit proposals stated that: High-profile police killings of black peoplemost recently George Floydhave galvanized the movement for racial justice. (go back), 129BlackRock Breaks Wall Street Ranks With Planned Racial Audit (1), Bloomberg Tax, Saijel Kishan, April 5, 2021, available at https://news.bloombergtax.com/financial-accounting/blackrock-breaks-ranks-with-wall-street-in-performing-race-audit. In doing so, these companies have argued that they have already taken measures to address racial justice, such as investing in Black entrepreneurs, expanding credit and working to boost diversity within their ranks. [75]. [76] To demonstrate that they had substantially implemented the audit proposals, companies argued they had (i) made pledges and commitments towards racial justice initiatives and made such information publicly available; [77] (ii) issued ESG and/or diversity focused reports; [78] (iii) issued press releases and public disclosures addressing racial inequality; [79] (iv) implemented initiatives to advance racial equity; [80] or (v) financially committed to racial justice initiatives and causes. Some studies have shown that promoting racial justice can increase profitability and competitive advantage. [39] A study by McKinsey & Company found that implementing or improving racial justice policies can positively affect a companys bottom line. AI could help you next time. (go back), 69Citigroup Inc., 2021 Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement, Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on March 17, 2021, available at https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/831001/000120677421000735/citi3828191-def14a.htm [hereinafter Citigroup Proxy Statement]; see also CoreCivic Inc. Proposal, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), available at https://exchange.iccr.org/node/88686/text. In a conversation hosted by sf.citi, San Franciscos tech trade association, executives at Airbnb and Twitter shared how their companies are working to build more inclusive workplaces and products. The findings will be used to examine and address disparities in how Black users and other people of color experience Airbnb, out of fear of mistreatment or due to discrimination and bias. The following proposals will be put to shareholders at its April 26, 2022 annual meeting, requesting: Historically, the insurance industry has engaged in racist practices impacting customers and potential customers from communities of color, including charging far higher premiums for auto insurance in Black neighborhoods as opposed to white neighborhoods; much lower payouts in homeowner insurance claims for Black neighborhoods; and instances of coverage denial for property owners who accept Section 8 vouchers. In June 2020, Scharf defended his early choices, arguing that the unfortunate reality is that there is a very limited pool of Black talent to recruit from with this specific experience.. (go back), 117See Webinar, Thomas DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller, supra note 23. A Racial Equity Audit is, at its core, an independent, objective and holistic analysis of a companys policies, practices, products, services and efforts to combat systemic racism in order to end discrimination within or exhibited by the company with respect to its customers, suppliers or other stakeholders. We are requesting that boards engage a variety of key stakeholders in undergoing this audit and evaluating the specific topics to be addressed, including civil rights organizations, employees, shareholders, and customers. 2017. (go back), 83See Rule 14a-8 No-Action Letter re: Amazon.com, Inc. 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