INDIANAPOLIS — Eli Lilly and Company and the Lilly Foundation Saturday announced a $25 million commitment to combat racial injustice and its effects locally and nationally on people of color.
The Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company also said it would donate 25,000 employee volunteer hours over five years to the cause.
"While there’s nothing easy about the road ahead, we can no longer accept systemic bias in any of its forms," the company said in a statement.
The money will include grants to improve educational, health, criminal justice and social mobility outcomes for people of color.
Much of the work will be focused on Indianapolis and surrounding counties.
"Lilly is a major Indianapolis employer and widely recognized as a corporate leader in diversity and inclusion. Starting now, we’re using our platform to speak up, speak out and work toward solutions to end the racism and inequalities that African Americans and other minorities have experienced for far too long," the statement said.
On Saturday, Lilly sponsored a virtual "Indy Day of Solidarity—We Stand Together" event, which featured messages from Mayor Joe Hogsett, City-County Council member Maggie Lewis and Lilly Chairman and CEO Dave Ricks.
