That we even have to write that today is a tragic symptom of this country’s original sins of genocide and slavery, sins that society has been unwilling and unable to reckon with for centuries.
That George Floyd, Michael Ramos, Ahmaud Arbery, Philando Castile, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor and thousands of other black men and women have had to die for that reckoning to finally arrive is an even greater tragedy.
We know our voice is not the most important one right now. So we’ve spent the last several weeks listening: to our community, to the voices of the Black Lives Matter movement, to our clients, and to each other.
This movement is not an issue of beliefs or politics but of facts. The facts are that black communities are disproportionately targeted and killed by police, disproportionately incarcerated, disproportionately affected by economic, housing and educational policies, and subjected to institutions and structures that perpetuate bigotry and maintain an inequitable status quo.
These facts prove why we can’t let this moment fade away. We can’t let ourselves go “back to normal” just because it’s easy or convenient for those of us who haven’t experienced what it’s like to be judged, sentenced or killed based on the color of our skin.
Reckoning with bigots and white supremacists is incredibly hard. We’re all plagued by the limitations of our own experience and bias. Some of us are unsure what to do or say. Some of us don’t want to say the wrong thing, or be misinterpreted, or sound inauthentic, or to have good intentions misconstrued in the maelstrom of public opinion.
These concerns pale in comparison to what happens if we say nothing at all.
As communicators and storytellers, our job is to listen as much as it is to speak. Listening is the only path to understanding, and understanding is the only path to true, meaningful action.
We’ve heard that words aren’t enough. A social media hashtag or a Facebook post isn’t enough. A brand-issued statement full of platitudes is not enough. Tip-toeing around systemic racism, social injustice and police brutality with vague and generic language isn’t enough. Solidarity—while an important first step—isn’t enough. Adding your voice to the conversation now because others are doing it, too, isn’t enough.
That gap in authenticity can’t be filled with a PR-approved statement to the black community or to employees, customers and the media. This is the message we emphasize with our clients, and it’s one we’ve taken to heart internally and continue to work through as a team.
Our goal is to advance the crucial conversations about injustice in our communities, to use our platform to create opportunities for discussions and ideas that enhance our own perspectives and amplify the voices and stories that have long been silenced or ignored because it’s convenient to do so. Our goal as a company—and as individuals—is to take action that enables us to be a part of the solution.
This article certainly isn’t enough to do that. As we continue to hold open and honest conversations to increase our awareness of our own biases and shortcomings and to educate ourselves on the steps we need to take to achieve social justice, we hope to open that dialogue to our community. We’re assessing guest speakers who can challenge our perspectives and provide insight that leads to action. We’re exploring resources that we can engage with to fight for policy change and equality. Our employees are exercising their First Amendment rights and donating to local and national organizations fighting for civil rights. Ultimately, we want to take a step back, let the voices that have been silenced for far too long finally be heard, and then to take action that affects meaningful change.
It will never be enough until we’re all treated equally: by the police, the government, society and each other. But it’s the necessary first step.
