Corporations large and small expressed their outrage, dismay,and horror at the killing of George Floyd, and pledged to fundblack organizations, charities, diversity training and more. ButTwitter users soon cut to the heart of the matter: 'Thanksfor pledging but let's see a photo of your board of directors.'

The point is backed up by statistics that reveal thetruth most Americans already know: Corporations are largely run anddirected by those who are "male and pale." In a 2018 report, for example, the total number ofboard seats for Fortune 500 companies was 5,670 — but only 651board seats were held by minority men and 261 board seats were heldby minority women. The breakdown by race looked like this:

• 83.9% or 4,758 seats held by Caucasian/White boardmembers
• 8.6% or 486 seats held by African American/Black boardmembers
• 3.8% or 213 held by Hispanic/Lantino(a) board members
• 3.7% or 209 held by Asian/Pacific Islander boardmembers
• 0.1% or 4 held by "other"

The report noted that the percentage of seats held by minoritiesin 2018, though small, had increased and revealed "more growth inrepresentation between 2016 and 2018 (1.7 percent) than between2012 and 2016 (1.1 percent) — which was twice as many years."