Delta has pledged to double the number of top-level Black officers by 2025.
The Atlanta-based carrier has also pledged to increase Black representation in its broader slate of leadership positions as well as on its board of directors.
Ed Bastian
"This effort will require intentionality from every member of the executive team and determination at every level of the company," CEO Ed Bastian wrote in a letter to employees Wednesday. "Every Delta leader must take personal, vested ownership in solving for the burdens Black and brown communities have been carrying for too long. Our progress will be measured, and we will be accountable for achieving these goals."
Currently, Black employees comprise 21% of Delta workforce. But they hold only 16% of company leadership positions and make up just 7% of Delta's top 100 officers.
In addition to doubling that last figure, Bastian pledged that the company would increase the portion of Blacks in leadership roles to better align with the company's total Black workforce.
There are two Black members on Delta's 12-person board of directors. The board also has just two women.
Delta also made a series of procedural pledges related to hiring. For example, Bastian said the airline will remove qualification barriers for roles that don't require college degrees. And Delta said it would expand recruiting efforts to include historically Black colleges and universities.
The carrier also pledged numerous community outreach actions geared toward creating more opportunities for people of color. For example, Bastian said Delta would double its spending with Black-owned businesses by 2025. He also said Delta will participate in voter outreach and support the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce's call to attract new poll workers.