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Apple CEO Tim Cook on Thursday became the latest Silicon Valley executive to issue a statement about the ongoing nationwide protests against police brutality and racial inequity that were sparked by the death of George Floyd while in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department.

His statement, which takes up most of the landing page at Apple.com, discusses the "painful past" of racial discrimination that's still present today in the U.S., including in the criminal justice system, the disproportionate toll of disease on black communities and inequalities in education.

"To stand together, we must stand up for one another, and recognize the fear, hurt, and outrage rightly provoked by the senseless killing of George Floyd and a much longer history of racism," Cook said.

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Demonstrators take part in a protest, Wednesday, June 3, 2020, in downtown Los Angeles, sparked by the death of George Floyd, who died May 25 after he was restrained by Minneapolis police. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

According to Cook, the tech company plans to take further steps in the areas of diversity and inclusion, and will be making a donation to the Equal Justice Initiative, an organization that challenges "racial injustice and mass incarceration."

As the protests and demonstrations, which have been largely peaceful, spread to more American cities, there have been some instances of looting -- including at Apple retail stores.

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"This is a moment when many people may want nothing more than a return to normalcy, or to a status quo that is only comfortable if we avert our gaze from injustice," Cook explained in the statement.

"As difficult as it may be to admit, that desire is itself a sign of privilege. George Floyd’s death is shocking and tragic proof that we must aim far higher than a “normal” future, and build one that lives up to the highest ideals of equality and justice."

The company did not specify how much money it would donate in the statement. Google and Amazon recently announced donations to racial justice organizations.

This is not the first time Cook has spoken out about the killing of Floyd.