Apple launches major new projects on racial justice and fairness to counter systemic racism and improve racial justice across the country

Apple’s first American developer academy to open in downtown Detroit

Later this year, Apple will open the Apple Developer Academy in Detroit, the first of its kind in the United States. Detroit has a vibrant community of Black Sea entrepreneurs and developers, with more than 50,000 blacks owned by blacks, according to the U.S. Census. The academy is designed to empower young black entrepreneurs, creators and programmers by helping them cultivate the skills needed for jobs in the fast-growing iOS app economy. Launched in collaboration with Michigan State University, Apple Developer Academy courses will be open to all Detroit students, regardless of their academic experience or previous experience in coding.

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7;s developer academy will offer two programs in Detroit. The 30-day introductory program is designed for students who are considering a career in application economics and seek to better understand what it means to be a developer. The full academic program is an intensive 10- to 12-month program that will help aspiring developers build the skills needed to participate in the iOS app economy and even start their own business. Apple expects the academy’s programs to reach nearly 1,000 students each year with a curriculum that covers coding, design, marketing and professional skills.

And next month, Apple will host the initial cohort of its founders’ camp for founders and developers in black for a virtual experience, offering individual code-level guidance from Apple’s experts and engineers, as well as mentoring, inspiration and insights from top leaders. Apple.

Empowering entrepreneurs through new financing partnerships

To address the systemic barriers to access and funding faced by Black and Brown entrepreneurs, Apple today announced two new venture capital and banking investments, both of which are designed to provide minority-owned capital. . The company will invest $ 10 million with Harlem Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm based in New York, to support its investments in 1,000 companies with various founders over the next 20 years. In addition to providing capital to color entrepreneurs, Harlem Capital will share its expertise with Apple’s broader efforts to improve access to economic opportunities. The company will offer guidance and mentoring to students at the Detroit Academy for developers and participants in the Apple Entrepreneurship Camp for Apple founders and developers. Apple will also support Harlem Capital’s internship program, which focuses on opening doors for ambitious women and minority investors.

The company will also invest $ 25 million in the Clear Vision Impact Fund Siebert Williams Shank, which provides capital to small and medium-sized businesses, with a focus on minority-owned companies. The fund seeks to support businesses that operate in or serve underserved markets and that promote inclusive growth initiatives.

Erection of public organizations

As part of its work on REJI, Apple continues to build on its contributions to community colleges, nonprofits, and local organizations working to empower and empower the next generation.

Apple is contributing to The King Center, a living monument to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to share its teachings and inspire new generations to continue their unfinished business. Next week, Dr. King’s daughter and The King Center CEO, Dr. Bernice A. King, will call for action, encouraging young people to return to their communities as part of Apple’s Challenge for Change series. “- a set of guides for conversations and challenges based on training on issues related to race and inequality.

Apple’s contribution to The King Center joins the company’s previous donations to nonprofits that promote justice and fairness, including the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama.