American companies are usually quiet during protests. Not this time. Some technology, media, banking, and clothing companies have stated their support for protests against police treatment of black people across the country. The protests started after a video appeared of a policeman with his knee pressed on a black man’s neck during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The man, George Floyd, repeatedly said, “I can’t breathe” as the crowd asked the officer to stop. Floyd died a short time later. Protests started in Minneapolis and quickly spread to cities in nearly 50 states and Washington D.C. Many quickly became violent and highly destructive as angry people burned buildings and attacked officers. Kellie McElhaney is a professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. She said, “I am shocked by the number of executives who have spoken up for the first time.”

What is a protest?
a private reading of complaints
a public expression of objection, disapproval, or dissent
a quiz on the internet
a way to vote
What was the theme of this article?
Some companies show support for protests against police treatment of black people across the country
Some companies raise food prices in the midst of a pandemic
Corporate sponsorships have declined over the past three years
Corporate outrage over climate change
Protests started after the killing of a black man in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Wilmington, Delaware