OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) - More than 140 CEO's of local businesses and organizations have signed a pledge to recognize racial disparities within the community and actively collaborate to work towards racial and economic equality.
It's part of the ongoing "Code" initiative organized by the Greater Omaha Chamber, where different businesses focus on what they can do to recognize systemic racism and problems within the community.
Around 60 business leaders met last quarter as part of the initiative. Following the recent protests, that number grew to 140.
The CEO of the Omaha Public Power District and Chamber board chairman Tim Burke says the time for real change is now.
"This pandemic, ‘pan’ meaning all, ‘demic’ meaning everywhere, this is the second pandemic, around racism and discrimination," he said. "I think it has just reached a boiling point where the business community has said we have to do something different in the community."
The business leaders involved in the initiative signed a pledge to educate themselves on the history of racism and the barriers it continues to present today.
The pledge also states that the business leaders will help create job opportunities for the marginalized.
