Corporate Platitudes that Celebrate the Historically Oppressed Must Be Followed by Actions Showing support once a year isn't enough.
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When it comes to supporting minorities, there's always a corporation waving enthusiastically once a month for whatever minority is being celebrated at that time. Some spend millions of dollars creating marketing, advertising and public relations campaigns to show how supportive they are. Guess that support only lasts 30 days because, like Cinderella, once the clock hits midnight and the month ends, it's as if they were never there.
With rainbow pride flags waving and social posts about the deep commitments to marginalized communities — what happens after? These communities don't disappear just because the month is over, and many of the challenges they face daily still exist. Where is the ongoing support? These public displays, while welcome, ultimately mean nothing if there is no action and even the superficial displays disappear after the fact.
Related: 5 Ways to Focus on Inclusion as We Return to the Office
The world is changing. The discriminatory views of the past, while still present like cancer, are slowly but surely withering away. The future is multicultural and beautifully diverse in terms of culture, sexual orientation and gender. The world is becoming inclusive, and society wants to embrace a brighter future.
It's a company's actions that will distinguish truth from puffery. What does a company do all year round? While a company might not address all that ails the world, it can invest back into the communities it sells to if it's going to profit off a specific demographic.
Yes, I understand that it is easier to spend money on a flash in the pan marketing campaign — pictures, commercials, and social media ads — but investing the time to address these communities' issues can inspire real change. In addition, if your customer base is facing economic and professional prejudice, they will have less income to buy your products. So it only makes sense that you should stand with them to create equality.
Recently it was revealed that Dolly Parton invested some royalties from Whitney Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You" into a Black community in Nashville. Following her lead, corporations that sell goods marketed to specific groups who face discrimination should put some or all of the profits made from these goods/services directly back into the communities they claim to support. But, as they say, talk is cheap.
Some companies might say that they aren't directly selling or profiting from these communities, but guess what — you can still make an impact and make changes in your own backyard. See, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging have been historically problematic topics for most industries.
Take the tech industry, for example. A study report showed that Black, Latin and Native tech professionals make up less than five percent of the workforce at major tech companies. With more than four in 10 Americans experiencing racism in the workplace, 17 states with no protection for LGBTQIA+ employees, and the ongoing gender pay gap, most companies can address real problems. While a sign of support is much appreciated, the action that begins to make spaces inclusive, equitable, and diverse would be better.
Related: We All Know There Is a Lack of Diversity in the Workplace. Who Is Responsible?
Real support looks like this:
- Addressing hiring practices that are exclusionary and gate diverse talent from entering the workforce.
- Creating spaces that make diverse talent feel welcomed.
- Addressing micro/macro aggression perpetrated by staff creates a clear line in the sand, making such behavior unacceptable.
- Hiring a diverse leadership team. If you look around and everyone looks the same and comes from the same background, that's a problem.
Companies can take the above actions all year round that show clear and active support for these communities that are so loudly celebrated at particular times throughout the year. Ultimately, it isn't just a moral choice but a smart business decision as we look toward the future. The world is increasingly diverse and that isn't going to change or slow the next generation of buyers, and workers will not look the same as now.
Corporate actions today that support underserved communities will dictate future success. Your customers will remember those who stood with them and those who did nothing but post platitudes. As a company, do more than celebrate your customers' specific demographics one time a year. Support them all 365 days — through more than just words, but with internal and external actions as well.
