Apple is announcing the next big investments from its $ 100 million commitment to racial equity and justice today: the launch of an Apple Developer Academy in Detroit; found support for a technology center in Atlanta for historically black colleges and universities; and new scholarships, grants and investments for black and brown students and entrepreneurs.
The Apple Developer Academy in Detroit will be “the first of its kind in the United States,” wrote Apple in a press release, after a previous partnership on a similar program in Italy. The academy is focused on “young black entrepreneurs, creators and programmers” and will offer training in iOS application development. The plan is to offer a shorter 30-day program that introduces students to “what it means to be a developer” and then offer a 10 to 12 month “intensive” program designed to help aspiring developers gain relevant skills. to get tech jobs or start your own business.
Apple expects the academy to teach about 1,000 students a year. It should open in late 2021.
In Atlanta, Apple is partnering to help launch the Propel Center, a technology-focused hub for HBCUs. The center will offer classroom and online courses focusing on technology, entertainment and business. It will be located at the Atlanta University Center that links four HBCUs – Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College and Morehouse School of Medicine. Apple and Southern Company, an Atlanta-based energy giant, will each contribute $ 25 million.
Other technology companies and major donors made similar contributions to HBCUs last year. In September, IBM announced that it was investing $ 100 million in technology, skill development and other resources for HBCUs, along with the launch of an “IBM Quantum education and research initiative”. In the same month, Michael Bloomberg announced plans to donate $ 100 million to four historically black medical schools focused on student debt relief.
Apple also announced a series of new grants and investments today. It is investing $ 10 million with Harlem Capital, a venture capital firm with the goal of “investing in 1,000 diverse founders over the next 20 years” and $ 25 million in Siebert Williams Shank’s Clear Vision Impact Fund, which focuses on in minority-owned companies. Apple is launching grants for HBCU engineering programs and is expanding its grant program with a focus on underrepresented communities.
Today’s ads are part of a $ 100 million pledge that Apple made in June 2020, when companies in the United States began to reflect on how they could better combat racism after George Floyd’s death and protests against brutality policeman. Apple vice president Lisa Jackson was in charge of the initiative, which was intended to “challenge the systemic barriers of opportunity and dignity that exist for communities of color and in particular for the black community,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook , in season.
Facebook, Microsoft, Google and other tech giants have made similar promises, putting millions of dollars into racial equality initiatives.