As unemployment numbers rise, a number of top chief executive officers have teamed up to develop a plan to create one million jobs for Black Americans over the next decade. Merck CEO Ken Frazier, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty and several others believe the "OneTen" plan will connect Black Americans without four-year degrees to employers while offering to grow, evolve and create better economic futures for their families.
"This is a moment in time for Americans to move past our divisions to come together and reach our full potential as a nation. Our country's workforce of the future will be an increasingly diverse one," Frazier said.
"Through the creation of one million jobs for Black Americans over the next 10 years, OneTen has the potential to address persistent inter-generational gaps in opportunity and wealth."
To kickstart their program, the "OneTen" leadership board will connect with a number of powerful businesses and successful nonprofits. Thus far, Nike, Target, Allstate, AT&T, American Express and dozens of others have signed on to participate in the program.
"OneTen links our companies with the critical work we know we need to do to improve racial equity in America," Rometty said.
"This will not only help our individual companies, but by removing structural barriers that have disproportionately hindered Black Americans from joining the middle-class, it will also help lift all Americans. By bringing together a coalition of key leaders and asking them to make long-term commitments, we have the ability to change employment practices and help break down systemic barriers opening the door to full participation in our economy."
"OneTen" will hit the ground running in January 2021.
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