As expected, Apple CEO Tim Cook has appeared Fox News Sunday this morning with Chris Wallace. In the interview, Cook justified Apple’s decision to remove Parler from the App Store, talked about Apple’s new investments in its Initiative Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, and more.
Asked by Wallace about the motivation behind Apple’s latest announcements about racial fairness and justice, Cook explained:
What this initiative is about is about opportunities and giving opportunities for colors to communities, and we can no longer be excited about its potential. Last year with the murder of George Floyd it brought an urgency to this. And so we are delighted that we can do our part here, and we hope that more people will follow.
We hope to make the Propel Center an innovation hub that serves all HBCUs, but becomes a source of information and inspiration for the entire footprint of HBCUs.
Apple’s CEO also paid attention to what he saw when he grew up in Alabama, and how it affects things today, and the new REJI projects.
I remember periods, Chris, where, whether you were in high school or college or after, where you looked around and there were just white people in, in, whether it was a college or a university or a graduate school or something. It does not feel right. And so, and so you ask, why is that? And I think it’s the absence of opportunities. It goes back to that. So what we are trying to do with this program is to give people the opportunity.
Cook also justified Apple’s definition of suspending Parler from the App Store, which we discussed for the first time earlier this week when the Fox News interview was announced.
Wallace also asked Cook about what it was like to take over from Steve Jobs in 2011 and what he has been ‘proud of’ over the past decade.
My focus then was on mourning, on mourning and on leading the company through a very, very difficult period. And that’s why I didn’t really think about how scary it was.
I am proud that we have preserved his DNA as the core of the company. And that the company remains focused on innovation and the production of amazing products that empower people and enrich their lives.
I love every day here. It’s a privilege of a lifetime to work with the people I work with. It’s hard for me to imagine my life without Apple. What’s next for Apple? We continue to manufacture the best products in the world. Not the most, but the best.
Wallace followed up on a question about Apple Car, which Grace graciously evaded:
Wallace: Does that include an Apple car?
Cook: Well, I can not comment on rumors and so on.
Wallace: Well, you can. You may choose not to do this, but you are definitely the boss
Cooking: you’re right. I choose not to do it. Touched.
Looking to the future, Cook said Apple wants to use its platform to “solve some of the biggest problems in the country” without expanding it. “We’ve always seen a company play a bigger role than just making money, but also making a difference,” he explained. “And that’s what drives me and gets up in the morning and keeps me coming to work.”
You can watch the full interview below or by visiting the Fox News Sunday website.
FTC: We use revenue to earn automatically affiliate links. More.
Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: