Our Perspectives: United in Pursuit of Equality, One Year Later

One year ago, the murder of George Floyd and the senseless deaths of other Black Americans created an awakening and an extraordinary opportunity to address society’s longstanding and deeply rooted issues of racism and injustice.

In response to those disturbing events, Honda expressed our concern over the systemic racism and injustices within our society. Guided by Honda’s values and Fundamental Beliefs, which are grounded in human respect, we committed to action that will strengthen our commitment to fairness, justice and racial equality in the workplace and in our relationship with society. 

We began by reflecting on our existing efforts based on our commitment to diversity and inclusion, which includes:

Following the tragic events that gave rise to the social justice movement last summer, we recognized that we need to do more. So, in the effort to accelerate change, we established a social justice task force to work with the company’s North American Diversity Steering Committee, and mobilized a diverse group of associates from across the company to act with urgency on our commitment.

Driven by recommendations from this task force, over the past year, Honda has taken a number of actions to advance our own inclusiveness while also supporting organizations and initiatives advancing social justice in society. These actions include:

Last summer, we also took a stand against hate speech and racism on Facebook by becoming the first automaker to join the advertising boycott of the platform and suspending all paid advertising. And earlier this year, with the rise in hate crimes against people of Asian descent, we made clear that we stand with Asian American and Pacific Islanders consistent with our effort to promote inclusion and social justice across Honda's North American operations.

Along with other members of Honda’s senior leadership team, we also participated in the company’s first-ever anti-racism and allyship training called Racial Injustice Stops with Me. This thought-provoking training session, which is available to all associates, was a deeply emotional experience and reinforced our belief that lasting change is the responsibility of each one of us.  

So, one year after the heightened attention toward issues of social injustice, we want to make clear that we remain steadfast in the commitments we made a year ago and are fully aware that more work remains. We will continue to take deliberate action to advance diversity and inclusion within Honda and to support efforts in society to achieve justice and equality for all people.

Together we can and will make a difference.

Rick Schostek

Executive Vice President  

American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Deputy Chair, Honda Diversity Steering Committee

Cathy McEvilly

Senior Vice President & General Counsel

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. 

Deputy Chair, Honda Diversity Steering Committee