Brands! Let’s Work Beyond Black Squares
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This post is co-written by Calvin Eaton and Emily Hessney Lynch
A lot of people have been asking and wondering: after the black square, what comes next? We’ve seen posts on Instagram reading, “This is not a moment, it’s a movement” and yes, great Hamilton reference, but how do we ensure that holds true? We need to hold brands and businesses to high standards right now. Lots of organizations issued statements and made promises throughout the month of June. How do we hold them accountable?
The Golden Girls pulled an episode from Hulu due to black face, but is that real, meaningful action, or is it performative? What is Hulu doing to hire BIPOC executives, writers, and producers? Are they creating shows that center non-white actors? Non-able bodied actors? That’s far more important than pulling down an ancient episode of a show.
In her book, Wow, No Thank You, writer Sam Irby shares her experiences writing for the Hulu show Shrill, starring Aidy Bryant. Sam is a Black, fat, queer, woman with Chron’s disease, and her perspective was represented by serving as a writer on the show. She wrote an episode featuring a pool party where Aidy’s character could embrace her fatness. Representation like this is awesome. We want to see more of this! Hulu should continue to hire more BIPOC fat, queer, woman writers.
In a similar vein, many white voice actors have recently stepped down from playing Black characters. Jenny Slate on Big Mouth is one such example. Slate explained that she’d previously viewed it as acceptable to voice Missy because Missy is half Jewish, as is Slate, but she later educated herself and concluded she should have made space for a Black voice actor. It’s all about making space.
Meanwhile, Micaela Coel, rising star writer and actor behind the acclaimed new show I May Destroy You, had to turn down a deal with Netflix because the terms were awful for her. She would have been given no rights to her work under Netflix’s terms! Do better to support and pay creators of color, Netflix. Coel ultimately landed a deal with the BBC that also gave her full creative control and rights to the work.
On other shows, like NBC’s Superstore, the ensemble features diverse characters, including Garrett, who is in a wheelchair. Colton Dunn, the actor who plays Garrett, is able-bodied. He auditioned against other actors who were in wheelchairs or had disabilities, and NBC went with Dunn. Perhaps Dunn could have turned down the role or NBC could have granted the spot to a non-able bodied actor rather than performing representation.
Television isn’t the only industry attempting to claim antiracist values without backing it up with action. For example, in the beauty industry, L’Oreal Paris fired transgender model Munroe Bergdorf three years ago for speaking out against white supremacy. When conversations about Black Lives Matter dominated Instagram in early June, L’Oreal Paris made a statement in support of the movement. Bergdorf called them out for making statements that their past actions did not align with. Ultimately, the brand and Bergdorf were able to have an honest conversation and launch a new partnership. This serves as a great reminder that we have to back up the black squares with real conversations and meaningful change.
Locally, we’re seeing organizations like the Out Alliance plastering up a Facebook cover photo reading “Black Trans Lives Matter” while a wrongful termination lawsuit is pending from a former Black trans staff member who experienced racism, transphobia, and abuse in the workplace. These kinds of inconsistencies are unacceptable. When a brand’s actions don’t align with its stated values, individuals who care about ethics and justice must pull their support.
Also in Rochester, a petition to rename the airport after Frederick Douglass has gained traction. Local leaders have expressed an interest and are taking the idea under consideration. Great! But remember, there must be significant actions to accompany symbolic changes like renaming an airport. We hope City and County leaders will continue making tangible strides towards equity in addition to renaming the airport and painting Black Lives Matter on the road.
When you run a business or brand, you need to align your actions with the values you proclaim. Here are a few steps you can follow to make sure you’re walking the talk:
Be transparent and own up to the areas where you’ve made mistakes and can do better. One great example is Sallie Krawcheck, CEO of Ellevest. She came right out on the Ellevest Instagram and said “I’ve got work to do.” She made it deeply personal. She acknowledge that as a leader of a company, it is on her that there is not a single Black person on the leadership team. Krawcheck shared the exact breakdown of Black, people of color, and women on her leadership team, in engineering, in product, and across the company. That level of transparency and ownership is a vital first step.
When your Black employees speak up about their experiences in the workplace, listen to them and make space for those conversations. Do not shut them down or get defensive. Just listen.
Pay Black folks. Don’t ask for their expertise without compensation. Pay them for their knowledge and expertise. Also, don’t assume that all Black folks want to be consultants on race or racism with you.
Make conscious, measurable and meaningful actions. For some leaders, that can include stepping down and stepping back! Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian did just that and recommended the board fill his spot with a Black board member.
As a leader, educate yourself and create a workplace culture where it is the expectation that staff are educated as well.
Not sure where to begin? Check out this blog post from Calvin called “Dear White Led Organizations.”
Good luck! We believe in you. Get out there and take actions that align with your organization’s values.
Calvin Eaton is the Founding Director of 540WMain Communiversity, a nonprofit online and community-based hub that provides accessible education and events promoting justice for all.
Follow 540WMain on Instagram.
