ALEXANDRIA, VA (Aug. 14, 2017) – Events over the weekend in Charlottesville, VA are the very reasons why nearly 300 corporate CEOs have collaborated to address the persistent inequities across America that underscore an urgent, national need to alleviate racial, ethnic and other tensions and to promote diversity within our communities. The leaders of some of America’s largest corporations as signatories to The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ manage thousands of employees and play a critical role in ensuring that inclusion is core to workplace culture and that businesses are representative of the communities they serve. We support our fellow ELC member and CEO Action signatory Kenneth C. Frazier of Merck & Co. and his decision to step down from the American Manufacturing Council.

Now, more than ever, is a time for courageous leadership. The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ calls on America’s corporate leadership to rally the business community to advance diversity & inclusion within the workplace by working collectively across organizations and sectors, as well as large non-profit organizations, colleges and universities. We know that diversity is good for the economy; it improves corporate performance, drives growth and enhances employee engagement. Most importantly, it is necessary to assure the strength and safety of our communities.

Some of the CEO signatories are already expressing support and feedback on social media, and we will be looking to them to share best practices on how they address this incident within their organizations. We hope you will encourage your CEOs to follow suit. For additional information on The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, please visit www.CEOAction.com