AT&T Invests in Diversity with $510,000 in Grants to NAACP and National Urban League

Strategic Insights -

AT&T has announced a major initiative to promote diversity and inclusion, with a $510,000 grant to the NAACP and the National Urban League to establish "tech centers" in low-income communities. The centers will provide training and education to help low-income individuals acquire the skills needed to succeed in the technology industry. This move comes on the heels of AT&T's diversity "report card" from the NAACP, which gave the company a B-minus grade. While no company received a perfect score, AT&T placed sixth among 13 telecommunications companies, with Atlanta-based BellSouth topping the list with a B-plus.

Key Takeaways:

  • AT&T has awarded $510,000 in grants to the NAACP and the National Urban League to establish "tech centers" in low-income communities.
  • The centers will provide training and education to help low-income individuals acquire the skills needed to succeed in the technology industry.
  • Minority employees at AT&T have grown from 13 percent of the workforce in 1972 to about 29 percent today.
  • In Georgia, about 46 percent of AT&T employees are minorities, including almost 30 percent of managers and professionals.
  • Black Enterprise, Hispanic Business, and Working Mother magazines have all praised AT&T for its commitment to diversity.
  • AT&T's top executive in Atlanta, Ray Robinson, is African-American.
  • The company has one pending lawsuit in U.S. District Court alleging racial bias, which AT&T denies.

Statistics:

  • $510,000: The total amount of grants awarded by AT&T to the NAACP and the National Urban League.
  • 13 percent: The percentage of AT&T employees who were minority in 1972.
  • 29 percent: The percentage of AT&T employees who are minority today.
  • 46 percent: The percentage of AT&T employees who are minority in Georgia.
  • 30 percent: The percentage of AT&T managers and professionals who are minority in Georgia.
  • 1972: The year in which minority employees made up 13 percent of AT&T's workforce.

Sources:

  • [No date] - Michael E. Kanell (no date), "AT&T to Fund 'Tech Centers' for Low-Income Residents, Including Atlanta", [Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Print Edition]
  • NAACP (no date) - NAACP Report Card: Diversity "Spectrum" of 13 Telecommunications Companies