Editor’s Note: The following message is an excerpt of an email originally shared with employees from CEO Chip Bergh.
We are horrified and deeply saddened by the rise of racially motivated hate crimes targeting Asian Americans across the United States and in our hometown San Francisco. Even more concerning is that these are not isolated events. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, hate speech, harassment and violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) persons, families and communities have increased. These acts damage our society and counter the values of our company and the country.
We reiterate our commitment to equality and double down on efforts to stand against discrimination for all and, specifically in this moment, seek to better support our Asian employees and the AAPI community at large. We’ve defined a few ways we will take immediate action, including:
- Helping our employees to better manage racial trauma and stress with mental health resources
- Equipping employees to fight back against racism through bystander training
- Demonstrating our allyship with Asian American communities through grants from our company and the Levi Strauss Foundation
- Working with our Asian Employee Resource Group to ensure their voices are heard and that we continue to be sensitive and inclusive of their challenges and needs within our diversity, equity and inclusion journey
At Levi Strauss & Co., we stand with Asian Americans and repudiate the proliferation of racism against this community. And we are wholly committed to using our platform and our voice to advocate for real equality and fight against racism in all its forms as it persists today.
