Top Indian-American corporate honchos express solidarity with African-Americans after Floyd's death

Prominent India-American CEOs, including Microsoft's Satya Nadella and Google's Sunder Pichai, have expressed solidarity with the African-American community in the wake of violent widespread protests sparked across the US by the custodial killing of George Floyd. Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man, was handcuffed and pinned to the ground in Minneapolis on May 25 by a white police officer who kneeled on his neck as he gasped for breath.

His death has triggered violent protests across the US, leading to the death of at least five persons, the arrest of over 4,000 people, and damage to property worth billions of dollars. "There is no place for hate and racism in our society. Empathy and shared understanding are a start, but we must do more," Nadella,52, said in a tweet on Monday.

"I stand with the Black and African American community and we are committed to building on this work in our company and in our communities," said the Hyderabad-born Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft. Nadella's Microsoft also said they will be using the platform to amplify voices from the Black and African-American community at the company.

A day earlier, Google CEO Pichai also expressed solidarity with the African-American community. "Today on US Google & YouTube homepages we share our support for racial equality in solidarity with the Black community and in memory of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery & others who don't have a voice," Pichai, 47, wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

"For that feeling grief, anger, sadness & fear, you are not alone," Pichai said, sharing a screenshot of the Google search home page which said: "We stand in support of racial equality, and all those who search for it." Another well-known Indian-American and former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi said everyone has a responsibility to recognize "this pain" and the "systemic racism" that has caused it. "This past week, we've seen millions of Americans vocalize their pain in protests across the nation responding to the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmadu Arbery," Nooyi said in a statement posted on Twitter on Monday with the hashtag Black Lives Matter.

"As we all consider how to heal this wound, I ask that we not lose sight of the power of our voices. I've always believed that confronting bias publicly is essential. If you see a bad actor, say it out loud and set an example for those around you," she said. Nooyi cautioned that the road ahead will "undoubtedly be challenging", and the scale of the work that needs to be accomplished is staggering.

"And don't be afraid of what you don't know. Instead, be eager to participate in conversations that may make you uncomfortable and commit to learning more. It may not be easy, but it is critical," she asserted. "Let's vow to be kind, to roll up our sleeves, and to be part of the force that bends this path toward justice," Nooyi, 64, said.

Violent protests have engulfed at least 140 cities across the US in the days following the death of Floyd. Darek Chauvin, the white police officer who choked Floyd to death, has been fired, and on Friday was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Considered to be the worst ever civil unrest in the US in decades, the violent protests have engulfed at least 140 cities across America in the days following the death of Floyd. Over 4,000 people have been arrested and curfews imposed in at least 40 cities.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)