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PRESS RELEASE June 14, 2023
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI), a long-term global effort to advance equity and expand opportunities for Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous communities, has more than doubled its initial financial commitment to total more than $200 million over the last three years. Since launching REJI in June 2020, Apple has supported education, economic empowerment, and criminal justice reform work across the U.S., with recent expansion to Australia, the U.K., and Mexico.
Through REJI’s education grants, Apple has reached more than 160,000 learners through in-person courses and out-of-school offerings, while committing over $50 million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to support science, technology, engineering, arts, and math opportunities. With a focus on economic empowerment, REJI funds financial institutions — including venture capital firms, Community Development Financial Institutions, and Minority Depository Institutions — that support Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses. And REJI’s criminal justice reform grants have supported legal services, safe housing, identification services, healthcare access, and other vital reentry services for more than 19,000 justice-impacted individuals.

New Partnership to Expand Access and Equity

Increasing Investments in Minority Businesses

Advancing Opportunities Globally

In Australia, Apple announced REJI’s expansion in August 2022 with initial grant funding to support initiatives and nonprofits serving Indigenous communities, including Deadly Connections, ID. Know Yourself, First Australians Capital, Art Gallery of NSW’s Djamu Youth Justice program, and Original Power. New funding will support Karrkad Kanjdji Trust, a charitable trust established by the Traditional Owners of Warddeken and Djelk Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) to achieve their vision for a healthy country. Through REJI and Apple’s environmental justice grants, the company is also supporting the Women Rangers program with funding to enhance its diverse portfolio of land management, leadership, and skill-building activities.

Taking Action Across Apple

  • In March, Apple added representation of Indigenous lands to Maps. In an update made in collaboration with Indigenous communities, Maps now displays tribal, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis territories in the U.S. and Canada. Maps also implemented support for dual-language labels — including in Indigenous-language syllabaries — and redesigned the Maps place card used for Indigenous lands to show more detail, working directly with communities to curate their place card content.
  • Strengthen Local Communities (SLC) is an Apple grant program that provides funding to local organizations where Apple team members live and work, including grants to minority-led organizations focused on environmental equity and justice. The program is helping to train future environmental leaders, provide low-cost tools for educators, and ensure that First Nation communities benefit from the transition to clean energy.
  • To support communities disproportionately impacted by climate change, Apple works directly with organizations that advocate for frontline communities, advance climate justice, and cultivate solutions that prioritize equity and community building within the environmental movement. The company has partnered with organizations including Environmental Health Coalition, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Native Conservancy, Original Power, and UPROSE.
  • Apple’s Challenge for Change Learning Series is designed to help learners of all ages explore important issues in their communities and create innovative solutions to make lasting impact. To learn more, visit education.apple.com/#/home/rp/R005920.
  • Apple recently worked in collaboration with representatives from the Chickasaw Nation and the Choctaw Nation to add Chickasaw (Chikashshanompaʼ) and Choctaw (Chahta) language support in the keyboard on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This effort is part of Apple’s goal to build products that represent everyone, including communities and languages that may be underrepresented and underserved in technology.

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