An organization cannot exist without its people—and cannot progress without their perspectives. At APCO, we listen, learn and lead with integrity as a family; uplifting the voices of our colleagues to help power change.
Welcome to our perspective portal—a candid repository of quotes from people across APCO sharing their solutions-driven outlooks on issues tied to racial injustice.
Q: Beyond financial support, what can big corporations be doing to amplify and strengthen the work being done by racial justice nonprofits?
A: Consumers and activists will hold companies accountable for inauthenticity, so it is important for companies to remain engaged in the conversation and show significant commitment to the cause, event after making a significant financial donation. Corporations have an opportunity to partner with nonprofits by creating joint initiatives, campaigns, or events to promote racial justice. Companies can also leverage their platform and social media following to promote, amplify and elevate the work that NGOs are doing in the social justice space.
Camille Villafañe
Q: What can corporate America do to support the black community?
A: Speak with intention. Speak with volume. Speak up when it’s difficult. If a company is committed to equity, that commitment has to be visible even when it may be uncomfortable. Corporate America must understand that inequities are not about politics; they are about humans, citizens. For instance, voter suppression is not a partisan issue; it is an issue of equality and justice. Companies must declare not only what they are against, but what they are for. And until “what they are for” becomes a reality, they must be focused, organized and disciplined to continue working toward progress.
Howard Pulchin
Q: A lot of companies have taken the first step, by publicly address racial injustice. What’s the next step?
A: While publicly addressing racial injustice is a good start, companies can’t stop there. We need to see transparency from them—from the bottom to the top—to ensure that companies are starting the change from within. Companies must provide constant updates on the commitments they have made/are making, to ensure the public keeps them accountable as they drive progress.
Ginna Royalty
Q: How can communications professionals help combat racial injustice?
A: Companies need to start being anti-racist from the inside. This means taking a deep, hard, even uncomfortable look at internal policies and practices– from hiring to compensation to promotions and retention—and moving beyond token representation to real equity in the workplace. The companies that don’t change internally will quickly fall behind with talent because the next generation of people entering the workforce is the most diverse ever, committed to social justice, and will choose to work for companies truly living their stated values.
Stephanie Green
One of the first steps towards change starts with education and understanding the wide range of factors impacting racial injustice. APCO developed a shared resources guide to highlight valuable research and news around racial inequality in business. This shared guide also features external readings that tackle the many fronts of racial injustice.
