Home Depot

From blackwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
The Home Depot logo

Home Depot is the largest home improvement retailer in the United States, supplying tools, construction products, and services.[1] The company is headquartered in incorporated Cobb County, Georgia, with an Atlanta mailing address.

It operates many big-box format stores across the United States (including the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands); all 10 provinces of Canada; and the 31 Mexican states and Mexico City. MRO company Interline Brands (now The Home Depot Pro) is also owned by The Home Depot, with 70 distribution centers across the United States.[2]

Racist tweet

The Home Depot racist tweet

As part of the company's sponsorship of ESPN's College Game Day, The Home Depot toured their "Bucket Brigade," a group of percussionists using the store's signature paint buckets as their instruments. The Home Depot has made any promotional video in which this group appears private, meaning you can no longer watch them perform Clemson's fight song on YouTube. The guy dressed as a chimp is likely a college student who dressed up to appear on television.

On Nov. 7, 2013, Home Depot posted a racist tweet which soon deleted as the picture on the side. There was an almost immediate backlash from The Home Depot's 160,000+ Twitter followers, especially from African-Americans. The tweet went viral and caught the attention of the corporation, which promptly freaked out. Someone in communications deleted the tweet and image, and sent out a stream of apologies. The incorrect spacing in the first replies suggests it was being handled as quickly as possible.[3]

Within a couple hours, Home Depot is apologizing for a racist tweet and blaming the agency that sent it from the company account.

The home improvement retailer pulled the tweet and apologized on Twitter on Thursday, saying, "We have zero tolerance for anything so stupid and offensive. Deeply sorry. We terminated agency and individual who posted it."

In a statement provided to ABCNews.com, Stephen Holmes, director of corporate communications, said, "We have zero tolerance for anything so stupid and offensive. The outside agency that created the Tweet and The Home Depot associate who posted it have been terminated. We're also closely reviewing our social media procedures to determine how this could have happened, and how to ensure it never happens again.[4] The Home Depot will not reveal the name of the agency responsible.

Supports to Black community

Home Depot CEO Craig Menear said on a message that the killing of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and other unarmed Black men and women in our country are part of a pattern of racism and reflect the harsh reality that as a nation we are much too far from fulfilling the promise of equal justice for all.

To promote actionable change, The Home Depot announced a $1 million donation to the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in a statement released on the company website. In the letter, Menear also said that over the company’s history, they have built an environment where we take care of each other, build strong relationships and value respect for all people.[5] The company will work for change internally, "I have begun working with our associate resource groups to facilitate internal town halls to share experiences and create better understanding among us all," he said. "We are dedicated to supporting you and our communities during this time with the goal of emerging more united than ever."[6]

References

  1. Ausick, Paul. Why Home Depot Dominates the Home Improvement Market. March 9, 2017. 247wallst.com. Retrieved Feb 1, 2021.
  2. The Home Depot. Wikipedia. Retrieved Feb 1, 2021.
  3. Feloni, Richard. Home Depot Responds To Racism Accusations. November 9, 2013. businessinsider.com. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  4. Kim, Susanna. Home Depot Apologizes for Racist Tweet Sent From Its Twitter Account - ABC News (go.com). November 9, 2013. abcnews.go.com. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  5. Message from Craig Menear - Racial Equality & Justice for all. June 1, 2020. corporate.homedepot.com. Retrieved Feb 1, 2021.
  6. Livingston, Mercey. These are the major brands donating to the Black Lives Matter movement. June 16, 2020. cnet.com. Retrieved February 1, 2021.