November 3, 2021
Author: Roy Weathers, CEO of CEO Action for Racial Equity

At this time last year, more than 100 companies came together to reimagine what it means to respond to societal systemic racism from a policy standpoint. There has been tremendous progress in companies taking a stand through public statements and donations; but we know that it will take much more. History has shown us that change won’t happen in silence, or without a concerted effort. It’s up to us to take action both within and outside our four walls. This is how CEO Action for Racial Equity (CEOARE) came to be, through an unwavering belief that the business community has a responsibility to its employees, customers, shareholders and the communities in which they operate to drive change.

For us, advancing racial equity requires meaningful investments. Our first-of-its-kind model unites business leaders to serve as Fellows who advocate for legislative and policy-driven solutions to address a number of our country’s most challenging racial disparities. As our Fellowship celebrates its one year anniversary, there is no better time to reflect on our “why”—the foundational reasons for mobilizing the business community to advance policy change at the federal, state and local levels.

Band-aid solutions are no longer an option.

In my conversations with the CEOs who committed Fellows to join CEOARE, the urgency of our work is as palpable today as it was in 2020. At the time, the communities where we live and work were in the throes of civil unrest and mourning the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and far too many others. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to shed light on long-standing and widening equity gaps and, in many ways, deepened them. Recognizing how much work there was to be done, the business community is using CEOARE as a platform to leverage our influence, talent and resources where systemic, sustainable change is critically needed —public policy.

The data tells a persistent story.

When we launched CEOARE, we recognized that our new model for advancing racial equity through public policy would involve stepping out of comfort zones, embracing complexity and committing to continuous learning. With Fellows coming from different companies, professional backgrounds and lived experiences, we embraced data as a common language that unified our efforts to drive change. For example, we saw the data on food insecurity disproportionately impacting 19.1% of Black American households. As a result, our Fellowship advocated for the USDA to close this gap by reassessing and modernizing the benefit allocation formula used by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). We saw the data on how virtual care provided unprecedented access for patients during the pandemic. So, we joined 430 organizations to urge Congress to address the “telehealth cliff.” The data informs every action we take and every way we mobilize—from advancing equity in early childhood education to addressing debt-based driver’s license suspensions that disadvantage low-income people of color.

Policy change can break the cycle.

Over the past year, CEOARE engaged 240+ policymakers, organizations, strategic collaborators and community leaders to raise awareness and amplify our mission. Every step of the way, we saw the promise and potential of advancing public policy. For example, we sent our second letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee to reaffirm support for passing the Driving for Opportunity Act of 2021, S.998, in anticipation of the committee vote. This bill would provide grants to encourage states to eliminate drivers’ license suspensions for unpaid fines and fees. On October 28, the bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee and the total sponsors/co-sponsors now include eight Democrats and six Republicans. For centuries, coalitions and civil rights leaders have responded to a resounding call for change by fighting for more just and equitable policies that will improve societal well-being. By design, our Fellowship embraces this approach of stepping boldly into the policy arena.

As we move into our second year, we’ll continue to harness our collective influence, draw on robust data, and deepen our conviction to drive change—we invite you to join us on our journey.