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‘Keep moving forward’: Apple’s Tim Cook quotes Martin Luther King in response to Trump victory
Tim Cook has responded to Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election by calling for unity.
In an email to employees, Apple's chief executive said that there would be "strong feelings" after the vote but quoted Martin Luther King Jr. saying that: "whatever you do you have to keep moving forward".
"Our company is open to all, and we celebrate the diversity of our team here in the United States and around the world - regardless of what they look like, where they come from, how they worship or who they love," he said in the memo obtained by BuzzFeed.
It comes after Apple was repeatedly criticised by Trump during the election. He attacked Cook over the handling of Apple's encryption stand-off with the FBI, and said that Apple should make its iPhones in the US.
Team,
I’ve heard from many of you today about the presidential election. In a political contest where the candidates were so different and each received a similar number of popular votes, it’s inevitable that the aftermath leaves many of you with strong feelings.
We have a very diverse team of employees, including supporters of each of the candidates. Regardless of which candidate each of us supported as individuals, the only way to move forward is to move forward together. I recall something Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said 50 years ago: “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” This advice is timeless, and a reminder that we only do great work and improve the world by moving forward.
While there is discussion today about uncertainties ahead, you can be confident that Apple’s North Star hasn’t changed. Our products connect people everywhere, and they provide the tools for our customers to do great things to improve their lives and the world at large. Our company is open to all, and we celebrate the diversity of our team here in the United States and around the world — regardless of what they look like, where they come from, how they worship or who they love.
I’ve always looked at Apple as one big family and I encourage you to reach out to your co-workers if they are feeling anxious.
Let’s move forward — together!
Best,
Tim
Cook's comments came as other tech leaders, including Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft president Brad Smith, responded to the election's results.
Zuckerberg did not respond to Trump directly but suggested that the result was a blow, saying that "progress does not move in a straight line".
"We are all blessed to have the ability to make the world better, and we have the responsibility to do it. Let's go work even harder," he said. However, Zuckerberg did not address criticism that Facebook's failure to moderate hoax news outlets contributed to Trump's victory.
Microsoft's Brad Smith acknowledged that the tech community had not done enough to recognise those who felt "left behind" in recent years.
Highlighting how economic growth in the last three decades had seen job opportunities for those without college educations decline significantly, he said: "In a time of rapid change, we need to innovate to promote inclusive economic growth that helps everyone move forward. This requires a shared responsibility among those in government, across the private sector, and by individuals themselves."
Google's chief executive Sundar Pichai and Amazon's Jeff Bezos are yet to respond, but both criticised Trump before the election. Pichai has publicly rebuked Trump's anti-immigrant statements, while Bezos has said Trump's actions "erode democracy".
Some of Silicon Valley's denizens have gone further. Shervin Pishevar, an investor in Uber and the founder of high-speed travel company Hyperloop One, has said he will fund a campaign for California to secede from the United States, dubbed "Calexit".