Amplifier, Uber, The Rockefeller Foundation, Salesforce, NBA, Vital Voices, Generator Collective and Elevate Prize Foundation Sign Corporate AAPI Visibility Pledge
Washington, D.C. (May 6, 2021) — Rise, a civil rights accelerator that empowers everyday citizens to pen their own rights into existence, and RUN AAPI, a nonprofit rewriting the cultural and political narrative on what it means to be AAPI in America, has worked with top-tier stakeholders in the business, philanthropy, and sports communities to create a campaign for increased Asian American and Pacific Islander community visibility across these sectors. Launched at AAPIpledge.US, Melinda Gates’ Pivotal Ventures, Vital Voices, Amplifier, Salesforce, Uber, Generator Collective, The Elevate Prize Foundation, the NBA and The Rockefeller Foundation have each signed on the AAPI Visibility Pledge.
These organizations are committing to denounce violence against the AAPI community and uplift the AAPI community within their respective organizations.
Alongside the corporate pledge, Rise and Change.org are launching a citizen petition calling on states to incorporate Asian and Pacific Islander history as a part of the American curriculum.
“Our stories need to be told, our history needs to be learned, and our contributions need to be celebrated. We are thrilled to have these monumental organizations signed on to the AAPI Visibility Pledge and are committed to reaching organizations, businesses, and individuals in every sector of our society to sign on as well. We launch this declaration in tandem with AAPI Month, to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions the community has made to this country. The violence and discrimination that we’ve faced stems from invisibility and apathy, therefore the solution is visibility and empathy,” said Amanda Nguyen, founder and CEO of Rise.
“The last year has seen a historic rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. This violence and racism, as Asian & Asian American communities know, is not new. It’s part of this country’s fabric. We see it everyday in the form of poverty, erasure, and harmful stereotypes perpetuated against our own. The AAPI Visibility Pledge is part of a movement born out of AAPI organizers who have been working tirelessly to ensure equality and justice for our people. We are calling for a moment where we hold and invite the powers that be to share in AAPI history, culture, and the continued rise of our community,” said Chloe Bennet, co-founder, and Linh Nguyen, Executive Director of RUN AAPI.
To galvanize support for the AAPI Visibility Pledge and citizens petition, Rise and RUN have kicked off a number of initiatives for the month of May to increase awareness around the historical and current contributions of the AAPI community.
They have partnered with Amplifier to get the word out about the campaign with community art installations in Atlanta, Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. featuring updated artwork from Shepard Fairey. They will be releasing a series of educational content for the month of May as part of the ongoing AAPI Visibility Campaign.
Join the campaign to increase AAPI visibility and learn more here: www.AAPIpledge.us
About Rise
Rise is a civil rights accelerator that empowers everyday citizens to pen their own rights into existence. Rise holds America’s record for being the most efficient social movement in modern U.S. history by unanimously passing 34 laws impacting over 85.1 million people. Rise is led by Amanda Nguyen, a 2019 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Harvard graduate, Forbes Under 30 honoree, and Marie Claire’s Woman of the Year recipient who penned her own civil rights into existence at age 24 by creating and passing the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights. Learn more and join the movement at www.risenow.us.
About RUN AAPI
RUN AAPI (RUN) launched a breakthrough cultural campaign to increase Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth voting rates this election cycle. (RUN) also conducted the first-ever comprehensive poll of Asian American youth voters in the country. Now, (RUN) is using their same proven methods of success to shift the narrative and create empathy through cultural education: creative content, live events, activations, op-eds, and direct engagement with their millions of fans and followers.