Carnival Corporation has announced its inclusion in the NAACP Equity, Inclusion and Empowerment Index, which assesses U.S. companies on their commitment to racial and ethnic equity in every aspect of their business and operations. Carnival Corporation was among the companies recognized this week at the 109th NAACP Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas, which coincided with the official launch of the index.

In NAACP’s inaugural index, Carnival Corporation was named among the highest ranked companies in the travel and leisure industry.

The selection represents Carnival’s inclusion in the Morningstar Minority Empowerment Index, which highlights publicly traded companies that stand out for their commitment to racial and ethnic diversity. Carnival was selected based on its Morningstar Minority Empowerment score, driven by Sustainalytics assessment of the company in categories including board diversity, discrimination policy, diversity programs, supply chain monitoring and community development programs.

Carnival’s dedication to diversity and inclusion has long been a priority, also under the leadership of Arnold Donald, who has served as CEO since July 2013. A strong believer that diversity drives innovation, Donald has appointed numerous diverse and dynamic leaders from a wide variety of backgrounds into leadership roles as presidents of the company’s cruise line brands and in key roles within global port and destination development, human resources, marketing, sales, operations and procurement.

Photo: Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation (with the O.C.E.A.N. Medallion)