INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A local
coalition of corporate and civic organizations has launched the
Indy Racial Equity Pledge to hold their organizations accountable
for driving measurable progress in advancing racial equity for
African Americans in Central
Indiana. By signing the pledge, organizations commit to use
their resources and influence to accelerate progress on racial
equity in four key areas: health, prosperity, education and
criminal justice.
The commitments are posted on IndyRacialEquityPledge.com, where
progress will be tracked and reported. Commitments can include
financial investments, community initiatives, in-kind donations,
advocacy, volunteerism, and internal diversity and inclusion
efforts.
The Indy Racial Equity Pledge was established by Eli Lilly and
Company, Anthem, Inc., Citizens Energy Group, Cummins, Inc., IU
Health, Pacers Sports & Entertainment, Roche Diagnostics,
Salesforce, and the Business Equity for Indy Committee. The
Business Equity for Indy Committee, a special committee of
corporate leaders formed by the Indy Chamber and the Central
Indiana Corporate Partnership, aims to create a fairer and more
inclusive business future for the City of
Indianapolis.
Other Central Indiana corporate
and civic organizations are encouraged to sign the pledge and make
commitments.
"We're at a critical inflection point," said Jeffrey A. Harrison, president and CEO, Citizens
Energy Group and chair of the Business Equity for Indy Committee.
"By creating the Indy Racial Equity Pledge, we're committing to
action and accountability. It's critical that leading organizations
across Central Indiana actively
join the fight for racial equity, using their voice, influence and
resources to create the change we want to see within our own
organizations and within our communities."
By signing on to the pledge, organizations agree to take
meaningful action to address issues of racial equity in
Central Indiana and post their
commitments on IndyRacialEquityPledge.com. The commitments are
focused on four key areas – health, prosperity, education and
criminal justice – where African Americans face systemic
disparities in outcomes.
The Indy Racial Equity Pledge is being launched today at a press
event featuring Indianapolis Mayor
Joe Hogsett, Tony Mason, president and CEO of the
Indianapolis Urban League, Dave
Ricks, chairman and CEO of Lilly, and other senior leaders
from companies that have signed the pledge.
"We applaud the commitment of Indianapolis companies in taking on one of the
most important issues of our time: racial equity," said Mayor
Hogsett. "With corporate and civic organizations working together,
we can accelerate the pace of change toward a future where everyone
has an equal chance to succeed in our community."
"We must confront these racial injustices now, and we must
confront them head-on," said Ricks from Lilly. "We're proud to join
this coalition and publicly commit to addressing systemic
inequities that confront African Americans every day. There is a
spirit of transformation underway, but we must answer this call to
action if we are going to create lasting change."
The Pledge
Corporate and civic organizations that
sign the Indy Racial Equity Pledge commit to the following:
We pledge to take meaningful
action to address the issues of racial equity and justice in
Central Indiana. As leaders in
this community, we must hold one another accountable for creating
short- and long-term change for African Americans. We pledge to
share our progress toward the goal of a racially equitable
community.
You can see each organization's specific commitments on
IndyRacialEquityPledge.com.
Central Indiana organizations
interested in joining the pledge can send a message to
info@indyracialequitypledge.com.
About Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly is a global health
care leader that unites caring with discovery to create medicines
that make life better for people around the world. We were founded
more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality
medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that
mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to
discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them,
improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back
to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more
about Lilly, please visit us at lilly.com and
lilly.com/newsroom. CR-LLY
Refer to:
|
Jen Dial (Lilly);
dial_jennifer_kay@lilly.com; 317-220-1172
|
|
Lori LeRoy (CICP);
lleroy@cicpindiana.com; 317-514-0095
|
|
Joe Pellman (Indy
Chamber); jpellman@indychamber.com; 317-464-2251
|
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SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company