ACTing on our Commitments

Across our nation – and our world – peaceful uprisings and global citizens speaking out against social injustice have turned the spotlight on systemic racism and the undeniable, long-overdue reckoning on race. At times, it has been hard to find the right words that truly capture the hurt felt across our nation, and in the world around us.

Is it anger? Is it sadness? Is it helplessness? Is it confusion?

We do know it is overwhelmingly heavy.

Fortunately, our time at Dow has taught us this: Action is the antidote to being overwhelmed. And ally-ship provides sustenance and support when the journey is long. When we see a problem, we seek to understand more, and then we come together to help drive change.

During this moment in time…we are a white woman coming to grips with her privilege, a Black woman channeling her frustration into hope and hope into action, and a Hispanic out male redefining his role as an ally. Together we share a responsibility as leaders of our company, as community members, as family members – as human beings – to reflect on our experiences and transfer our unique perspectives into action. Action we take to move forward.

Racism and discrimination are personal, and we believe it will take people of all backgrounds partnering together to alter history’s course.

…. We are encouraged because young people, old people, Black people, white people, straight and gay people are on the streets demanding change … every part of our society is demanding change.

…. We are encouraged that people of all backgrounds and ages are answering what Martin Luther King, Jr. called life’s most urgent question: “What are you doing for others?”

…. And we are encouraged by our Company’s bold stance – putting in place Dow ACTs – our framework designed to address systemic racism and inequality within our organization and in our communities.

We are pleased to announce details on the first steps we are taking together:

• A $1 million commitment over five years to The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) in support of the CBCF’s National Racial Equity Initiative for Social Justice. Through this initiative, the CBCF will place Social Justice Policy Fellows in the U.S. Congress for two years; establish social justice scholarships for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); and advance racial equity and human rights in research, data, analysis, and public policy related to the inequality of opportunity. This partnership is an important step in helping drive policy change and in fighting racial injustice, including judicial reform, healthcare disparities and economic inequities in the Black community.
• A $100,000 commitment made to this year’s Dow Promise program, an employee-led initiative to positively impact educational and economic challenges faced by Black youth and adults in communities near Dow sites through competitive grants and nonprofit partnerships. We continue to reimagine this program and further advance funding to create even greater impact in our communities moving forward.
• A $500,000 commitment made this year for HBCUs toward activities that support building the pipeline of STEM talent including retention and development, curriculum development and mentorship. We continue to explore ways to further enhance our HBCUs recruiting strategy, and through intentional and consistent funding, we have plans to elevate our investment to improve access, growth and representation of Black students in STEM.

This is just the beginning. In total we’ve committed $5 million over the next five years to support the Black community and we will continue to identify more opportunities to round out our pledge. In addition, we will continue using our platforms and resources to engage, activate partnerships, and push for change at the community, state and national level. These actions are the first of many as we do our part to address systemic racism and racial injustice.

Not just because it is the smart thing to do but because it is the right thing to do… together.

We will continue to report on our progress here.

Karen S. Carter, Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Inclusion Officer
Rebecca Bentley, Vice President, Global Public Affairs
Louis A. Vega, President, Dow North America and VP Government Affairs & Advocacy, NA