First Steps Toward Lasting Change

In this moment of rapid change, we recognize that the relics of racism exist. The actions we have seen most recently are not isolated actions. Racial injustice affects all aspects of life in our society, our collective progress has been insufficient, Mozilla’s progress has been insufficient. As we said earlier this month, we have work to do.

Today, we are sharing a set of commitments that are a starting point for three areas where we will drive change across Mozilla:

1. Who we are: Our employee base and our communities

To begin, we are committed to significantly increasing Black and Latinx representation in Mozilla in the next two years. We will:

  • Double the percentage of Black and Latinx representation of our U.S. staff. This is a starting point for what Mozilla should look like, not an aspirational end point, and it applies to all levels of the organization.
  • Increase Black representation in the U.S. at the leadership level, aiming for 6% Black employees at the Director level and up, as well as representation on Mozilla Corporation and Mozilla Foundation boards.
  • Create dedicated and comprehensive recruiting, development and inclusion efforts that attract and retain Black and Latinx Mozillans.

These commitments are not just about numbers, but about people, and that means having an environment that is diverse, inclusive and welcoming and addresses issues in people’s lives. Our work ahead is in hiring and retaining and also in providing the resources to mentor, develop and advance diverse employees, as well as ongoing education and reflection for our full staff, so that we can create the environment that reflects our mission and our users.

2. What we build: Our outreach with our products

Educating ourselves is how we can begin dismantling systemic racism, and to do that we started with surfacing content via Pocket through Firefox. These collections of works by Black writers and thought leaders are being distributed through our Pocket product with companion promotion through Firefox product messaging. It was new for us to use our products in this way. We will continue to explore how we can leverage the functionality and reach of our products and services to advance change.

Our user research and understanding of our users, their stories and problems also need broadening. We see this as a journey, with undoubtedly other ways that our products can contribute more.

3. What we do beyond products: Our broader engagement with the world

How Mozilla shows up in the world and engages to uplift and increase Black voices in the broader efforts to build a better internet, beyond just our own teams, is equally important. We have supported organizations working at the intersection of tech and racial justice such as the ACLU, Color of Change and Astraea Foundation. We’ve already committed to further work at the intersection of technology and racial justice in 2020 because it helps us build a bigger and stronger movement for a healthy internet.

Beyond those existing partnerships, we are also committing to:

  • Direct at least 40% of Mozilla Foundation grants in 2020 to Black-led projects or organizations, with specific targets to come for 2021 and beyond. We see this as critical to the transformation of our organization and the broader healthy internet movement we are part of.
  • Develop and invest in new college engagement programs with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Black student networks. We will work closely with professors and students on topics like open source and trustworthy AI, and connect them to the Mozilla community. Mozilla is committed to a culture shift in tech.
  • Focus Mozilla’s brand and social media efforts on lifting up people and organizations standing for Black lives and communities, especially where they’re working at the intersection of technology and racial justice.

By committing to change who we are, what we build and what we do beyond our products, we are talking about transforming how Mozilla shows up in the world in fundamental ways. Making this change will require us to support each other, to allow for mistakes and to embrace learning. But most of all it will require us to focus tenaciously on our values and lean into the idea that we’re creating an open internet for all. This isn’t just essential for this moment in time. It’s critical for the future of Mozilla, the future of the internet and the future of our society.


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