Diversity

The Cleveland Indians organization stands united with African Americans and all those who seek social justice and equality. We share in our community’s anger, and in this moment we will not remain silent. We stand together against racial profiling and incidents of police brutality that unfortunately continue in our society, despite the genuine efforts of so many to address these community issues.

Inherent in our role as a civic institution, we strive to unite and inspire our city with the power of team. We have a long, yet imperfect history of doing this as an organization, but we are committed to making a difference. We know that sports can be a powerful agent of change in our society.

As Larry Doby once said: “Kids are our future, and we hope baseball has given them some idea of what it is to live together and how we can get along, whether black or white.” In the spirit of Doby, we commit to doing our part to end the systemic racism that persists in our society and to call for empathy and understanding for all communities.

We recognize that posting a statement and talking about our beliefs is not enough. We don’t pretend to have answers, but we commit to being part of helping our community find them. We have already started conversations with our players and staff to make this an ongoing priority in our organization, and we will work to partner with civic and community leaders to listen, learn, and then act.

It is our hope that we can build on this moment to be a part of the positive change we need in our country.

Indians Owner Paul Dolan issued a statement as a follow up to the organization’s initial statement on July 3 about determining the best path forward with regard to the team name.

“As we approach Opening Day, I wanted to provide an update regarding our team name and our plan moving forward. In our July 3rd statement, we shared a commitment to listening and learning from our community, and we appreciate the passionate response over the past several weeks.

Earlier this week, I had a candid and productive meeting with Terry and our players, where they expressed their desire to help our organization in this process. Our players care about the organization and feel strongly about social justice and racial equality. I support their interest in using their platform to unite our city and our nation through their actions.

As I explained to our players, I am invested in engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to help determine the best path forward with regard to our team name. In the coming weeks, we will engage Native American leaders to better understand their perspectives, meet with local civic leaders, and continue to listen to the perceptions of our players, fans, partners and employees. We feel a real sense of urgency to discuss these perspectives with key stakeholders while also taking the time needed to ensure those conversations are inclusive and meaningful.

We will continue to share periodic updates as we make progress. In the meantime, we are excited for our team to return to the field to continue our pursuit of a World Series Championship.”

The Cleveland Indians and its charitable arm, Cleveland Indians Charities (CIC), are proud to serve the Northeast Ohio community by providing a variety of community outreach programs. Each program is designed to help improve the quality of life for others, support youth to reach their full potential and foster self-confidence. We embrace the opportunity to be a responsible corporate citizen serving the Greater Cleveland communities.

SANDY ALOMAR JR. SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

In their continued efforts to support youth education, the Cleveland Indians, in conjunction with Major League Baseball, created the Sandy Alomar Jr. Scholarship Award. The Sandy Alomar Jr. Award will be given to a graduating St. Martin DePorres high school senior who has excelled in academics, community service and has a financial need.

For more information on the Sandy Alomar Jr. Scholarship and other scholarship opportunities, email cic@indians.com or call 216.420.HITS.

Our commitment to diversity extends to our business partners. Through our supplier diversity program, we aim to increase opportunities for a diverse pool of suppliers to compete for the procurement activities of our club. By identifying and building relationships with diverse business partners we seek to develop strategic advantages - promoting efficiency, creativity and profitability - while at the same time enhancing the economic growth and well-being of our diverse communities.

Jackson Robinson Day - Most Valuable Diverse Business Partner (MVDBP)

In 1998, Commissioner, Bud Selig authorized the creation of the Diverse Business Partner (DBP) program, an economically driven business initiative established to cultivate new and existing partnerships with minority, and women-owned businesses, by increasing opportunities for minorities and women to participate in the procurement activities of MLB.

Every year to honor the spirit of Jackie Robinson, MLB and the Cleveland Indians select one Minority or Women -owned business as the year's Most Valuable Diverse Business Partner.

Previous MVDBPs:

• 2018 - Ten10 Design
• 2017 - PromoShop
• 2016 - Image One
• 2015 - North Cost Sales & Maint.
• 2014 - Brandview Solutions
• 2013 - TLC Sprint Water
• 2012 - AAA Flexible Pipe
• 2011 - CHI Corporation
• 2010 - Industrial Video
• 2009 - Dependable Painting
• 2008 - Fine-Line Communications
• 2007 - AG PrintPromo Solutions

"Cleveland is rich in diversity. It is important to reflect our community's diversity in the companies in which we do business," says Bette Prendergast, the Indians purchasing coordinator.

Want to learn how to become a vendor for the Cleveland Indians?

Contact Us

Bette Prendergast
Coordinator, Purchasing & Corp. Services
Progressive Field
2401 Ontario Street, Cleveland, OH 44115
bprendergast@indians.com
216.420.HITS

LOCAL RESOURCES AND VENDORS

• Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women Business Enterprise (WBE)
• Become a vendor for the Cleveland Indians
• Indians Diverse Business Registration Portal
• Frequently Asked Questions

DIVERSE VENDOR SUMMIT

The MLB Diversity Business Summit is the premier sports employment conference and supplier diversity trade fair. This two-day event allows job seekers and entrepreneurs the unique opportunity of meeting with MLB's Clubs at both the Major League and Minor League levels as well as sponsorship partners.

Learn More

We seek to attract, develop, and retain a diverse workforce that brings a broad range of perspectives and experiences to our company. Through supporting an inclusive work environment, we strive to recognize and value the distinctiveness of each employee and to take full advantage of those differences to improve our productivity and innovation, while cultivating our acceptance and respect for each other and our communities.

Our Talent Acquisitions team works with a number of diverse partners in the community to promote all open positions within the organization.

View current Indians job opportunities

ST. MARTIN DE PORRES HIGH SCHOOL CORPORATE WORK STUDY

Since 2006, the Cleveland Indians have sponsored students from St. Martin de Porres High School Corporate Work Study Program. This program allows students to pay for over 70% of their high school tuition as well as acquire skills and marketable job experiences not otherwise available to them. This program also provides meaningful opportunities for professionals to interact with and mentor the student workers while making a difference in their lives.