Facing up to race and equity

Like you, I’m following the Black Lives Matter movement with a mixture of hope, grief, frustration and a profound will to do the work necessary to be an ally and dismantle systemic inequality. I don’t want to preach, and I have more questions than answers. But I want to share a simple idea. I’ve just read Robin DiAngelo’s powerful book, White Fragility,  and it’s made me realize that the first thing I need to do to address racism is to understand myself in this context. As DiAngelo says, “ If I have no idea how my race shapes me, I am probably not going to be open to any feedback about how your race shapes you.” 

Facing up to race and equity starts with self-education, and it starts with all of us. The advertising industry has a shameful record on diversity. IPG’s annual diversity study shows only tiny percentages of people of color in senior levels, particularly in creative. Let’s start working to correct this.

Here are two things I’ve committed to:

• Diversifying our roster  I’m actively recruiting promising artists of color. Watch this space for news. 
• Amplifying POC  I’ll be regularly showcasing work by our artists that celebrates Black lives and elevates people of color.

I look forward to continuing this conversation with you.