Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
The Pokemon Company, the corporation behind one of the most popular and most recognizable franchises in pop culture, has stepped forward to give their stance on the systemic racism present in America. Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, protests have been taking place around the world. This social backlash has caused numerous companies and corporations to speak out, and even donate money. The Pokemon Company has voiced their support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and pledged to donate to the cause.
The Pokemon Company took to their official twitter account to share their statement. “We stand in solidarity with our black employees, fans, and families who continue to be impacted by systemic racism and senseless violence” the company said in the post. This reflects the sentiment shared by many others around the industry. Nintendo, a co-publisher of the Pokemon franchise made a similar statement.
Not only did the Pokemon Company confirm their stance on the ongoing crisis, they also announced donations to support the movement. Pokemon will be donating $100,000 to the NAACP, and another $100,000 to Black Lives Matter. It’s always reassuring to see these major corporations not only plant their flag on what has somehow become a controversial issue, but use their money and platform to back these stances. EA recently announced a $1 million donation along with matching employee donations by %200.
In light of recent events, we’ve seen many events around the industry get put on hold, so that more important conversations can take center stage. Most notably, Sony indefinitely delayed their PS5 reveal event originally scheduled for June 4. The Pokemon Company is among the latest to speak out on these matters, but we’re confident they won’t be the last.