Sharpton & Friends Plan 'All White' Apple SHAKEDOWN

REV. Al SHARPTON (10 September 2013): There are no blacks on 30% of Fortune 500 Board of Directors. Apple, where we spend a lot of money on Apple, they have a new I-phone coming out today. No blacks in Board of Apple. We buying up all this Apple stuff and can’t get a bite.
 
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REV. AL SHARPTON (38:50) Ah now today the I-Phone comes out ah that is of course produced by Apple and Apple is one of those companies I mean we do a tremendous amount of business in our community with Apple, yet were not on their Boards and there is no evidence they d a lot of advertising or a lot of contracting in our community, is that correct?

EARL GRAVES JR: That’s correct and I think you know it’s one thing to have the measurement being the people who are on the Board, but once a person’s on the Board then it’s really measuring four different things. And the key is what is the percentage of money that they spend in procurement that they’re spending with minority owned businesses, or African American firms? The second it what percentage of senior managers or direct reports are people of color? The third is what percentage of money that you spend are you spending with or directed to African American media. Of course the last is the Board of Directors. The part that is so shocking is that Apple, which is probably the best know of the companies basically strikes out against all four.
 
REV. AL SHARPTON: Really!

EARL GRAVES JR: They have no African American Directors in the company. They do little to no spending in African American media. They do little to no spending with in procurement with African American firms. And as you, as I quote you all the time, the corporate board not corporate board, but the ah corporation in the executive rank looks like the Himalayas.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Right

EARL GRAVES JR: because the higher you go the whiter it gets.