Tim Cook met with Rev. Jesse Jackson on Monday in a private sit down that was described as ‘positive and productive’ by the civil rights leader.
Jackson is in the Bay Area this week to promote a workshop hosted by his Rainbow PUSH Coalition that is focused on closing the racial gap in the tech industry. USA Today reports that the Cook and Jackson talked for over an hour, and while Jackson wouldn’t mention what they talked about specifically, he said he came away impressed.
“I am impressed with him and the conversation,” Jackson said in an interview on Tuesday. “He has a real vision for Apple and he sees the value in inclusiveness.”
Cook’s profile as a civil rights leader has raised considerably in 2014 after he came out as the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Tim has also spoken publicly about growing up surrounded by discrimination in the Alabama, and he’s pushed Apple to be more diverse by releasing employee data, and marching with the fellow employees in this year’s Pride Parade in San Francisco.
Diversity in the workplace was probably one of the main discussion topics during Jackson’s meeting with Cook. The Reverend is taking part in a rally outside Apple HQ on Thursday to protest the growing income gap in Silicon Valley. Jackson has been a tough critic of tech’s elite companies by calling attention to the continued lack of women, blacks, and Hispanics at Silicon Valley’s top firms.
Source: USA Today
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
10 responses to “Tim Cook met privately with Rev. Jesse Jackson to discuss inclusiveness”
What a disgrace. Jackson is a shyster. I am saddened Mr. Cook gave him the time of day.
+1000000000000000000
I am so getting sick of Tim Cook. I really don’t care about what he does in his bedroom, but even talking to Jesse makes me ill. Gay’s really need to understand one thing, the average american really don’t give a rat’s ass about your sexuality. If you want to flaunt it to us, then that WILL cause a problem. Tim Cook is slowly becoming the darling of the Gay Agenda and it will hurt Apple’s business somewhat. If I were a Board Member, I would tell him to stop politicizing his gay agenda. Apparently, Jobs picked him for his technical expertise, not his sexual proclivities. Let Cook keep it that way.
so much dumb here, idk where to start
Jesse Jackson, really? Mr. Cook, you need to understand that the real America that exists between the two coasts, has no respect for this race baiter. Silicone Valley is not the real America. You’ve made a big mistake giving your time to this shakedown artist.
Disgrace is an understatement. Jackson is one of the biggest hypocrite, corrupt, dishonest, mobster and racist this country has had to endure. Together with his equal Al Sharpton, have taken the race divide to unbelievable lows. I can’t understand how some people still allow them to be public figures. We will all be so much better when these @#$!% just disappear (they certainly at least should be in jail for their thievery). Shame on you Mr. Cook… what a disappointment.
Time for Tim to go. He is turning Apple the same kind of public/private crony corporate monster that Steve spent his life fighting against. He keeps trying to cozy up to the government and these political idiots while he should be focusing on products and customers.
how quaint, JJ the Race Hustler extorting the Hi-Tech Industry
Tim Cook, get back to work!
If the morons at silicon valley agree, I think it is time for the NFL and NBA be representative of the population too. Lets hear what the Race hustlers have to say.