“I make no excuses about it, I am like Robin Hood. I take from the rich and give to the poor. It is high time at last for the world to wake up and do more for Africa." – Leon H Sullivan
Leon H Sullivan belonged to West Virginia and became the pastor of the Zion Baptist Church in 1950. Sullivan believed that dependence upon the public assistance was an enormous insult to the African Americans and only job could provide the true empowerment for them. He was successful to organize a selective patronage program to boycott those companies (basically Philadelphian), which did not provide equal opportunity in employment. That program successfully opened the door for thousands of African American, though most of them needed to be trained. In 1964 Sullivan founded opportunities Industrialization center, through which he used to train the African American people and tried to make them suitable to fulfill the job requirements. In 1977 Leon H Sullivan launched “The Global Sullivan Principles” which is believed to be as a powerful venture to secure social justice. These principles are the guidelines corporate accountability and responsibility. The Global Sullivan Principles have the purposes of supporting the social and political justice by the companies, as well as securing the equal opportunity at all levels
Preamble of The Global Sullivan principles: “ The objectives of the Global Sullivan Principles are to support economic, social and political justice by companies where they do business; to support human rights and to encourage equal opportunity at all levels of employment, including racial and gender diversity on decision making committees and boards; to train and advance disadvantaged workers for technical, supervisory and management opportunities; and to assist with greater tolerance and understanding among peoples; thereby, helping to improve the quality of life for communities, workers and children with dignity and equality. I urge companies large and small in every part of the world to support and follow the Global Sullivan Principles of corporate social responsibility wherever they have operations”.
These principles have drawn a framework, which tells the corporate sectors to be respectful to their employees and the communities in which they are operating. These principles also cover- human rights, worker treatment, equal opportunity, child labor, freedom of association, health, safety, compensation for basic needs, fair competition, community development and female abuse. More than hundred US corporations operating in South Africa adopted these principles before the end of South Africa’s apartheid period. Reverend Leon H Sullivan along with Kofi Annan (Secretary General of United Nations) tried to preserve the human rights and social justice internationally by expanding the corporate code of conduct and new revised principles have been launched in 1999. These expanded principles call for multinational companies to play a much larger role in the advancement of human and still stands up against racism, against discrimination, and against social and economic injustice. Sullivan Foundation takes care of these principles globally.