Southern Company is proactively confronting issues surrounding racial equity and social justice, working to ensure that all employees are well-represented and treated fairly within our organization, regardless of race or other identity attributes.

This is a critical time in the history of our nation and our company. The events of 2020, including the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and other Black men and women, have served to shine a light on the cumulative and compounded effects of systemic racial bias across institutions and society. While justice and equality are embedded in our company’s values, we realize there is much work yet to be done.

Racism has no place in our company. We are committed to work for change within our circles of influence, and compelled to advocate for colleagues who have been traditionally underrepresented and marginalized. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Applying this standard to our collective corporate conscience, Southern Company is resolved to be a model for companies who would seek to lead change in today’s environment.

Maintaining racial equity is an ongoing journey. In an initial step, we created a new framework to guide all our businesses in areas such as talent acquisition, supplier diversity, political engagement and charitable giving, to help ensure a continued and coordinated focus on this work.

To help grow Black entrepreneurship and provide needed technology resources, we were pleased to announce a $25 million investment in partnership with Apple to launch the Propel Center, a new digital learning hub, business incubator and global innovation headquarters. The Center, located in Atlanta, will be available to students of historically Black colleges and universities throughout the nation.