Apple Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Its Home Page

[MacRumors]

Apple today updated its website to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a full page memorial on the company's home page. The image on the site is accompanied by a message to honor the civil rights leader and his work, "Today we reflect on the life and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the work that continues in service of the broader concerns of humanity."

Following the rollout of the website change, Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted his own commemoration that highlighted Apple's remembrance of King's legacy.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/557152554685984768

Previously, Tim Cook has publicly expressed his admiration for Dr. King, noting in a Charlie Rose interview last year that he keeps photos of King and politician Robert Kennedy in his office at Apple.

"I had the -- just tremendous respect for both of them, and so I do," he said. "I look at them every day because I think for people -- there's still too many cases in the world and in the United States where there's a class kind of structure or where voting or people are trying to convince each other that this other group of people don't deserve the same rights. And I think it's crazy, I think it's un-American."

Besides the web page refresh, Apple reportedly also is encouraging its employees to volunteer with a donation matching program, reports 9to5Mac. Instead of a paid day off, Apple is offering to donate an additional $50 for each voluntary hour worked by employees.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Apple Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Its Home Page

 

[springsup]

This is basically what I think about it: Last Week Tonight - Corporations on Twitter.

Apple should stop doing this. This man campaigned for equal rights, Apple make computers. There is zero overlap. It's embarrassing.

It is certainly not a publicity or marketing opportunity. Seriously, did Apple really lose all of their class the day Steve passed?

 

[lobbyist]

Powerful.

 

[Sellewiet]

Aah Tim, just looking out to protect his customer demographic I see.

Apple shouldn't try to link themselves with the accomplishments of great people in hope that it rubs off. How many sweatshops did Martin Luther King have?

 

[WestonHarvey1]

This is basically what I think about it: Last Week Tonight - Corporations on Twitter.

Apple should stop doing this. This man campaigned for equal rights, Apple make computers. There is zero overlap. It's embarrassing.

It is certainly not a publicity or marketing opportunity. Seriously, did Apple really lose all of their class the day Steve passed?

Apple has always done things like this.

 

[inscrewtable]

Not the first time.

 

[FieldingMellish]

Apple tripping over itself. I want to see a special Apple page to commemorate Mother Teresa.

 

[mojolicious]

It is certainly not a publicity or marketing opportunity. Seriously, did Apple really lose all of their class the day Steve passed?

Today's Apple home page is far less cynical and distasteful than the Think Different campaign, which Jobs was so supportive of that at one stage he was going to do the voiceover himself.

 

[springsup]

Today's Apple home page is far less cynical and distasteful than the Think Different campaign, which Jobs was so supportive of that at one stage he was going to do the voiceover himself.

By all accounts, the "Think Different" ad and campaign was aimed just as much at Apple themselves as consumers.

Apple was an innovative company who had been wasted and left for bankruptcy. The ad was really meant to inspire Apple's own employees as much as anybody else.

This? This is just shameless bandwagoning.

 

[Keane16]

This is basically what I think about it: Last Week Tonight - Corporations on Twitter.

Apple should stop doing this. This man campaigned for equal rights, Apple make computers. There is zero overlap. It's embarrassing.

It is certainly not a publicity or marketing opportunity. Seriously, did Apple really lose all of their class the day Steve passed?

You must be new to Apple. They've done this before.

Nothing to do with computers. It's about people. It's a general good deed. Apple are promoting the good work this man did, nothing embarrassing about it.

If even one kid goes to that page and learns about what he achieved and the change he helped bring, it's a positive.

So sad that even this is negative to some people.

 

[inscrewtable]

Apple should stop doing this. This man campaigned for equal rights, Apple make computers. There is zero overlap. It's embarrassing.

Apple has changed the world significantly for the better, in spite of them now being a megacorp.

 

[Doomtomb]

Tim Cook is so black

 

[kemal]

Cue Up the Speeches

Play'em loud.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

It's too bad that the movie Selma is such a cobbled mess.

Bill Moyers had some rather harsh tings to say about it, but still wants people to see it.

 

[gnasher729]

This is basically what I think about it: Last Week Tonight - Corporations on Twitter.

Apple should stop doing this. This man campaigned for equal rights, Apple make computers. There is zero overlap. It's embarrassing.

It is certainly not a publicity or marketing opportunity. Seriously, did Apple really lose all of their class the day Steve passed?

Apple should absolutely continue doing this. Apple's company goal isn't making computers. Their goal is to improve the lives of people (mostly by way of making nice computers, music players, phones and tablets). Here they found a different way of improving the lives of people.

There is also a big problem that Apple and many other companies like Google, Microsoft, and so on are having: The US government wants them to spy on people, and the companies want to make products that make their customers feel safe from government spying. Just recently Obama said that he believes the companies will do what he wants them to do "because they are patriotic". It is important for Apple and others to build up a reputation as the good guys so they can say believably "no, we are not enabling spying on our customers, and we _are_ patriots). "

 

[Traverse]

I see nothing wrong with honoring him, unlike some on this forum. It highlights the people aspect of the world and presents Apple as something more than just a computer company for a brief period.

_____________

Plus, I do feel like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. kind of fits their "Think Different" mantra.

 

[springsup]

Apple has changed the world significantly for the better, in spite of them now being a megacorp.

So have many companies, in ways far more profound than Apple could ever dream to.

Take pharmaceutical companies, for example. They invent drugs which may actually save human lives. Is it now tasteful if they promote their company using the image and reputation of civil rights activists?

How about oil companies? They're no more destructive to the planet than Apple are (I mean it - mining for raw materials is very damaging!). On the other hand, they provide us with far more fundamental necessities such as heating, lighting, transportation so we can import food, etc. They have arguably done much, much more for the human race than ten Apples.

So I expect you all to be just as accepting when BP make a road-trip ad featuring Gandhi and Jesus, or when Bayer show MLK taking an Aspirin after a major speech.

 

[CEmajr]

This is basically what I think about it: Last Week Tonight - Corporations on Twitter.

Apple should stop doing this. This man campaigned for equal rights, Apple make computers. There is zero overlap. It's embarrassing.

It is certainly not a publicity or marketing opportunity. Seriously, did Apple really lose all of their class the day Steve passed?

I believe it's you who is the one without class. How in the hell are you trying to spin this into something negative? Some people here will cry about anything just for the sake of crying.

 

[Chatter]

20 posts in and the bitching is on. How about "holding hands and walking together" or something like that...
Sigh.

 

[Lucky736]

I agree that he did many things to further the "movement" in this country in many ways.

I also know that he wasn't nearly as "clean as a whistle" like the media would like to propagate. Ask people who were actually in Selma about the limo pulling up, the door opening, and him, another unnamed yet familiar fellow, and a few women in there with no clothes on and their pants down, buttoning up, getting out of the car then "marching" the last mile or so into Montgomery.

Don't be fooled into believing everything you hear in the media is all there is to it.

Either way, it's been declared his day and so be it.

As far as Apple, a simple picture/background would suffice. No need for the extra commentary to detract from the simple message the picture already sends.

 

[proline]

Aah Tim, just looking out to protect his customer demographic I see.

Apple shouldn't try to link themselves with the accomplishments of great people in hope that it rubs off. How many sweatshops did Martin Luther King have?

Indeed. Why shouldn't Apple try to link itself with motherhood and apple pie as well? Even though this is just Apple Inc marketing, many people will like it anyways. Well played.

 

[inscrewtable]

So have many companies, in ways far more profound than Apple could ever dream to.

Take pharmaceutical companies, for example. They invent drugs which may actually save human lives.

They also invent drugs to exploit third world countries by selling them items that are illegal to sell in the west, and in their quest for mega millions they inflict untold harm as well, thalidomide rolls off the tongue on this one. I'm not sure why you are searching for a reason to be bitter about Apple. And who is to say what is regarded as 'profound'.

 

[BigHonkingDeal]

Apple has changed the world significantly for the better, in spite of them now being a megacorp.

Yes they did....

 

[cgc]

I don't have a problem with this so long as it doesn't detract from Apple making great products. Something in the last few years has derailed Apple somewhat and their products are of a lesser quality than before (e.g. more bugs, nothing new other than upped specs (or lowered in the case of some iMacs, new Mac Mini, and new iPod Touch)). Apple needs to refocus on making high quality products especially if they intend on charging us a premium for them.

 

[HenryDJP]

Aah Tim, just looking out to protect his customer demographic I see.

Apple shouldn't try to link themselves with the accomplishments of great people in hope that it rubs off. How many sweatshops did Martin Luther King have?

Really now? I don't see anything where Apple is trying to turn this into a sales opportunity. Oh the humanity on this board.