Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
Cisco
FAIL
cisco.com
TYPE: American Global Digital Communications Technology Conglomerate Corporation
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: Vanguard Group Inc., BlackRock Inc., State Street Corporation, Geode Capital Management LLC, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, Morgan Stanley, Northern Trust Corporation, Wellington Management Group LLP, Invesco Ltd., etc.
OWNER: Public Company
SUBSIDIARIES: AppDynamics LLC, Jasper Technologies LLC, etc.
2023 REVENUE: $56.998 billion
2023 HEADCOUNT: 84,900
One Penn Plaza, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10119
+1 212 714 4000
Cisco Systems' extensive DEI initiatives, led by CEO Chuck Robbins, EVP Francine Katsoudas, Chief DEI Officer Gloria Goins (a Black woman, Goins was Head of Equity and Business Development for Amazon Pharmacy prior to Cisco), and Director of Global Inclusive Recruiting Aleta Howell (also a Black woman), present significant risks of harassment and discrimination against White employees, potentially violating anti-discrimination statutes. Cisco's explicit goals to increase Black representation at various levels, as articulated by Katsoudas ( “We are working toward a 25 percent increase in representation of Black employees from entry level through manager level and a 75 percent increase in representation of Black employees from director to vice president and above by 2023”) could be perceived as de facto quotas if they lead to race-based preferential treatment in hiring or promotions.
Howell, a self-described “leader who embodies Black Resistance,” proclaims on LinkedIn that, “I am for equity because equity starts with everyone,” which could be legally problematic in the role of Cisco’s Senior Director, Global Talent Strategy & Entry Talent Recruiting, as DEI equity is explicitly anti-White and calls for targeted asset redistribution based on race. Howell led efforts that increased AA/Black representation in non-executive positions by 11% in the first year, as part of Cisco's Social Justice Action, aimed at racial representation at all levels. If taken as a mandate, this is especially concerning. The initiative’s race-based targets risk disparate treatment and disparate impact discrimination by favoring Black candidates, potentially bypassing qualified non-Black applicants and employees. This could also foster a hostile work environment, actionable as harassment if non-Black employees feel excluded or undervalued due to their race.
Cisco's 12 actions on social justice, announced in 2020 as part of their Social Justice Beliefs and Actions initiative, aim to address perceived systemic racism, inequality, and injustice through a $150 million commitment over five years. These actions include: 1) Establishing an Inclusive Future Action Fund to support community organizations; 2) Expanding the Cisco Foundation’s grant-making to focus on social justice; 3) Committing $100 million to Black-led organizations and businesses; 4) Investing $50 million in Black-owned venture capital funds and startups; 5) Enhancing employee volunteerism for social justice causes; 6) Strengthening diversity in Cisco’s leadership and workforce; 7) Reviewing and updating company policies to ensure equity;* 8) Providing unconscious bias and anti-racism training for employees; 9) Partnering with HBCUs and minority-serving institutions to expand opportunities; 10) Advocating for criminal justice reform and voting rights; 11) Measuring and reporting progress on diversity and inclusion; and 12) Engaging suppliers to promote diverse businesses, the last of which could be legally problematic if it results in discriminatory practices that disadvantage non-diverse (e.g., White-owned or non-minority-owned) businesses or their employees. Cisco’s commitment of $100 million to Black-led organizations and businesses could be legally problematic if it results in discriminatory practices that disadvantage non-Black-led organizations, businesses, or their employees. Mandating "equity" is concerning, as it results in discriminatory practices that disadvantage certain groups based on race or other protected characteristics. Equity, often interpreted as ensuring equal outcomes across racial or demographic groups, can lead to policies that prioritize specific groups over others. The mandatory "unconscious bias" and "conscious culture" training, delivered via Emtrain—a specialized DEI training provider—and extended to Cisco’s global workforce of 90,400 (including New York employees under NYSHRL jurisdiction), may foster a hostile work environment if it frames White employees as inherently privileged or complicit in systemic inequity. Additionally, Cisco’s numerous Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for minorities—like Connected Black Professionals and Conexión—lack a clear equivalent for White employees, potentially fueling perceptions of exclusion among White staff, especially when paired with leadership rhetoric from Goins and Katsoudas focusing on "underrepresented communities" and "social justice." This asymmetry, combined with training that might imply collective guilt, could alienate White employees, undermining true inclusion and exposing Cisco to criticism.
Cisco's initiatives have fostered division and criticism directed at White employees. By offering DEI training and communicating its "Conscious Culture" expectations to its vast partner network, Cisco appears to be attempting to propagate its DEI values throughout its entire value chain. Cisco Systems has navigated a number of legal challenges related to its DEI efforts, employment practices, and corporate governance on diversity. Chuck Robbins, in his dual role as Chair and Chief Executive Officer, holds ultimate oversight for all company strategy, which explicitly includes its DEI commitments.
Cisco instructs companies on DEI practices.
*DEI "equity" involves prioritizing certain racial, gender, or identity groups with targeted resources or opportunities to ensure equal outcomes at the cost of fairness and individual merit. DEI’s equity focus shares some similarities with communism and socialism in its group-based, redistributive approach, and with totalitarianism in ideological coercion.
**Cisco’s practice of segregating employees into two adversarial racial categories, BIPOC/POC vs White, can be seen as problematic under the NYSHRL and may raise concerns under federal law and with the EEOC, as it creates distinctions based on race that could foster division, disparate treatment, and a hostile work environment, potentially violating prohibitions against discriminatory employment practices.
Institutional investors such as Vanguard Group Inc., BlackRock Inc., State Street Corporation, and Geode Capital Management LLC have demonstrated a commitment to incorporating ESG considerations, including diversity and inclusion metrics, in their investment stewardship and proxy voting guidelines. This external pressure from major parent company shareholders likely serves as a significant driver for Cisco's public commitments and strategic focus on ESG and Diversity and Inclusion (D&I). Consequently, accountability for the design and impact of DEI initiatives rests primarily with the company's leadership and board, who must navigate these influential investor expectations.
This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements. The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice; consult a licensed attorney for specific legal guidance.
DieDEI.co is waiting on internal materials for a fuller picture of Cisco’s DEI program. Follow us on social and subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
TECH PARTNERS INCLUDE: Accenture, Adobe, Akamai, Apple, Deloitte, EY, Google, HCL, Infosys, Logicalis, Microsoft, NetApp, NVIDIA, NTT, Oracle, Rockwell Automation, Salesforce, SAP, etc.
NOTE: Client lists are subject to change. This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements.