MICROSOFT IS SPONSORING TRUMP ?!?

Don’t let Microsoft sponsor the Trump-led RNC !

Tell Microsoft: "Reject Trump's racism, violence, and sexism. Cancel your sponsorship of the Republican National Convention."

TAKE ACTION

Dear friend, 

Thanks to you, we were able to get Coca-Cola to take the unprecedented step of pulling most of their sponsorship from the Trump-led Republican National Convention (RNC), proving the power of everyday people.¹ When we rise up together we can win! And together we can get other companies to follow suit.

Microsoft – a self-proclaimed leader in diversity – is planning to give the Trump-led RNC at least $500,000! Not only that, but they’re planning to provide the Trump-led RNC with all of its tech support needs for free.

Trump, who's suggesting his supporters riot if he doesn't win the Republican nomination, has been running a campaign built on violent rhetoric, racially charged imagery, and paranoid conspiracy theories.² Just last month, he offered to pay the legal fees for a supporter of his who sucker-punched a peaceful Black protester.³ And last week, a teenage girl was pepper-sprayed while being a called ‘n**ger lover’ by a Trump supporter at his rally.⁴

Microsoft has a history-making choice right now. Once they start writing checks, they are committing to support the platform of someone threatening riots at the convention. After hundreds of thousands of you demanded action, Coca-Cola announced it is terminating its financial sponsorship of the RNC – now it's time for Microsoft to follow suit and dump Trump.

Click here to directly call Microsoft’s executive team and tell them: "Reject Trump's racism, violence, and sexism. Cancel your sponsorship of the Republican National Convention."

Make no mistake, corporate sponsors of these lavish conventions are about more than promoting “civic engagement” – as some companies continue to claim. This is about buying access to power. And this year will be a coronation ball for Trump and his white supremacist supporters sponsored by Microsoft and other Big Tech companies. Bigotry will be front and center on prime time television, with all the accompanying massage rooms, technology and top-shelf drinks sponsored by the same corporations that make their profits off of us.⁵

In 2012, Microsoft provided tools – like Skype, Kinect, and Web application SharePoint – and consulting services to convention organizers and participants in the planning and execution of the RNC. In other words, they are the speaker box Trump, Cruz and others will get to use to amplify their bigoted, xenophobic and racist rhetoric, not just to those in attendance, but millions of people around the world. Imagine Trump, spewing hatred and encouraging violence brought to our screens by Microsoft, while the rioters he promised circle the convention. Maybe those same people will even get to relax in the Google lounge afterwards. This is absolutely unacceptable.

Big Tech companies like Microsoft, who rely on our dollars, shouldn't be comfortable aligning themselves with Trump's brand of hate. And with the momentum we’ve created by forcing Coca-Cola to pull out of the convention last week, we have a great opportunity to pressure Microsoft and other Big Tech companies to do the right thing and stop supporting Trump. The fewer companies there are supporting his campaign, the weaker Trump becomes.

Microsoft can't have it both ways. Either it's a diverse and inclusive company, or it's a company that sponsors the hateful and violent message of Donald Trump. If Microsoft truly believes in corporate civic responsibility, than funding a platform for an anti-democratic demagogue preaching violently anti-Black, anti-Latino, anti-Muslim, and anti-women bigotry should be the last thing they would ever want to sponsor.

Microsoft needs to hear from you- call their executive team now and tell them: "Reject Trump's racism, violence, and sexism. Cancel your sponsorship of the Republican National Convention."

Until Justice is Real,

Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Bernard and the rest of the ColorOfChange team.

  

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References :

1. “Corporations Grow Nervous About Participating in Republican Convention,” New York Times, 03-30-2016
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/6128?t=7&akid=5627.1942551.KgMRsC

2. “Trump predicts 'riots' if he's not nominee,” The Hill, 03-16-2016
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/6129?t=9&akid=5627.1942551.KgMRsC

3. “Video of Black Man Sucker-Punched Is Latest in Violent Acts at Trump Rallies,” Mic, 03-10-2016  http://act.colorofchange.org/go/6130?t=11&akid=5627.1942551.KgMRsC

4. "Police Say Teenage Girl Was Pepper Sprayed and Sexually Assaulted at Wisconsin Trump Rally," Gawker, 03-31-2016
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/6131?t=13&akid=5627.1942551.KgMRsC

5. "Where the Elite Meet (Open Bar, Anyone?)," New York Times, 08-30-2012  http://act.colorofchange.org/go/6132?t=15&akid=5627.1942551.KgMRsC

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