Chick-fil-A announced that its True Inspiration Award grants will go to Black-led nonprofits this year, but not everyone was impressed by the move. The fast food chain is pledging to give $5 million to organizations that are either led by or benefit Black communities, in direct response to the recent wave of protests for racial justice. Judging by Twitter, many people feel that Chick-fil-A has a long way to go before it becomes a force for social justice.
This is the seventh year of Chick-fil-A's True Inspirations Award, and a massive rise in its grants. Last year, the company gave away $1.2 million to nonprofits, ostensibly in an effort to continue its founder S. Truett Cathy's legacy of "generosity, community service and dedication." Still, many felt that the grants will not outweigh Chick-fil-A's criticisms for its stance on LGBTQ+ issues, which have led to boycotts in the past. Conversely, some customers who do not support the Black Lives Matter movement were put off by the big donation.
Chick-fil-A is leaving no question as to why they are making this massive donation. The company's vice president of corporate social responsibility, Rodney Bullard, said: "The recent highly publicized and horrific deaths of Black men and women have rocked our nation and shed light on the injustice, systemic racism, and disparities that Black people endure daily. As a company, we are making a pledge to take action against racial injustice. The True Inspiration Awards have always been a platform to give back locally where our restaurants serve and by redirecting our grants to organizations supporting communities of color, we believe we can make an impact."
This is part of Chick-fil-A's ongoing effort to change its approach to philanthropy, which it announced in the fall. The company wants to provide "additional clarity and impact with the causes it supports." Still, many critics pointed out that philanthropy only goes so far, and it benefits the company as well in the form of tax write-offs.
All-in-all, Chick-fil-A's True Inspiration Award for 2020 fell somewhat flat. Here is a look at how social media responded to the announcement this weekend.