More than a Statement

Last week, Annelise highlighted the importance of being authentic now more than ever as the nation continues to come together in solidarity and support of racial injustices faced by many African American men and women in America.
But what does that authenticity look like?

For me, a young black woman, a social media post is only scratching the surface.
It is great that a brand or organization has publicly taken a stand against racial injustices, but for most of us, the next questions are what are you doing behind this post to make a difference? Does your brand or company represent people who look like myself and my peers? Are you taking actions to support change? And the list goes on.

If you are not prepared for questions like those, you may want to take a step back before issuing a statement or participating in things like Blackout Tuesday.
On the other hand, there are some brands/organizations that may choose to stay silent, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t taking action. I am someone who lives my life in a way that I don’t broadcast every great thing I do or even my wins, so silence does not always mean someone is turning a blind eye to the issues.

But in times like this, silence can leave room for assumptions, and with so many brands and companies choosing to speak up, it is easy to quickly identify the ones that haven’t.
Whether you choose to make a formal statement, choose to be silent about the actions you take to make a difference, or choosing to do nothing at all be prepared for a future employee or client to ask “What did you do to make a change?”