Tech companies are asking their black employee groups to fix Silicon Valley’s race problem — often for free

As Black Lives Matter protests captured national attention, tech companies have leaned heavily on black employee resource groups to put together programming for Juneteenth, host panels on race, and vet executive statements.

SAN FRANCISCO — A reporter and producer at Yahoo News, Marquise Francis usually devotes 6 to 10 hours a week to his voluntary role leading a group for black employees at the site’s parent company, Verizon. But as Black Lives Matter protests spread and corporations faced pressure to address systemic racism, Francis has seen his workload explode this month, from offering emotional support to the group’s 450 members to meeting with top executives to ensure the company responds in a meaningful way.

Francis says he’s grateful to have the ear of the chief executive officer Hans Vestberg, who has been open to the group’s request for Juneteenth and Election Day to be paid holidays and for additional transparency on workforce demographics. But pushing for black representation in the midst of police violence and protests has turned what he said was once a “fun second job” into a heavy obligation that competes with the demands of his real work, without additional time or pay.

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