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ON OUR MINDS
Brought to you this week by account director Isabelle Jetté, who’s currently enjoying her newfound love of K-pop.
Coronavirus & Corporate Responsibility
Read our previous coverage, and check out upcoming McPherson Memo Live chats here.
The latest U.S. employment figures are in, and sadly the news isn’t good: while the weekly rate of unemployment insurance claims continues to fall, as many as 1.48 million people have filed to receive benefits in the past week, bringing the estimated total of unemployed workers to 47 million — close to one third of the workforce, the highest jobless rate on record. And the virus itself shows no signs of relenting, as surges in new cases across the country have upended several states’ plans to reopen their economy. Throughout this, women, people of color, the young and under-credentialed workers have been disproportionately affected by the resulting economic downturn. While the future of work itself will undoubtedly be reshaped by COVID, there is urgent, unprecedented need to intervene on behalf of these vulnerable populations. Several organizations are heeding the call, including our client New Profit, whose $6 million Future of Work Grand Challenge, powered by XPRIZE and MIT Solve, aims to rapidly reskill 25,000 displaced workers into higher wage jobs in the next 24 months and achieve broader systemic change to help prepare 12 million underserved Americans for workforce success by 2025. New funding efforts are launching to support diverse women, while wealth-management firm Ellevest is pivoting by expanding its offering to include debit cards, savings accounts, and financial advice, to support the underbanked and those financially insecure as a result of the pandemic, many of whom are women of color.
In the protests’ wake, will brands go the distance?
George Floyd’s murder provoked an immediate, visceral response condemning police brutality and racial injustice on a global scale, the likes of which have rarely been seen. Already it’s led to calls for sweeping police reforms, the removal of several Confederate statues, and sports organizations reversing their stance on athlete protests, among other significant developments. The business sector has been no less vocal, with myriad Black Lives Matter statements, #BlackOutTuesday posts and donations to anti-racist causes — this blog by Ad Age is perhaps the most comprehensive and regularly updated tally we’ve come across to date. And while it’s been encouraging to see the level of corporate engagement, there is a long way to go. Silicon Valley, for instance, has pledged hundreds of millions of dollars, declared Juneteenth a paid holiday and invested heavily in anti-bias training, but the reality remains that very little has ostensibly changed when it comes to representation among big tech’s workforce ranks, particularly its executive brass. What’s more, their tech and social platforms often inadvertently amplify those who seek to weaponize racial vitriol. Meanwhile, Vice Media is calling on brands to revisit their keyword blocklists, which preclude ads from appearing next to stories that mention “George Floyd,” “Black Lives Matter,” “protest,” and “Black” people. Not only is the practice inconsistent with efforts mentioned above, it limits revenue and exacerbates the precarious state of newsrooms across the country — more perhaps than ever, we desperately need a strong and independent 4th estate.
SCOTUS is making justice moves
In case you haven’t been keeping score, SCOTUS has a full slate of cases that it will decide upon this month, many of which have important ramifications for businesses and their employees. The Court has already rendered two surprise decisions in favor of historically marginalized populations - the first a landmark 6-3 decision that upholds Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and extends protections to homosexual and transgender workers, barring employers from taking discriminatory actions on the basis of sex. The second ruled more narrowly in favor of extending DACA, blocking the White House’s bid to end the program (for now) and protecting the rights of some 700,000 young immigrant DREAMers to live and work in the U.S. — for many, the only country they’ve ever known. Seen as critical wins by many for both employees and employers, we now await the fate of two more cases that could fundamentally alter access to reproductive health care, which would undermine business interests writ large. In June Media Services v. Russo, if the law were upheld, it would place undue restrictions on doctors, significantly disadvantage low-income individuals and people of color, and pose an existential threat to Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, in Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania, SCOTUS is mulling over whether allowing employers to opt out of the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive coverage requirement on the basis of moral and religious grounds would be deemed unconstitutional, threatening employees’ health, equality, and economic security.
ON OUR RADAR
Support:
- On Juneteenth, more than 800 businesses took the Business for Equity Pledge to eradicate systemic racism. You can still sign the pledge here.
- #BlackOutDay2020 is calling for a “blackout” on purchases on July 7th — and encourages you to support a Black-owned business if you do need to make a purchase — to raise awareness for police reform and systemic racism. May we suggest: GEENIE, a curated beauty marketplace launching in July that will feature beautiful BIPOC-owned indie brands, and The Butterfly Club, a shopping guide of Black-owned and operated businesses.
- Organized by the Anti-Defamation League, NAACP and Common Sense Media, #StopHateForProfit is compelling companies to boycott Facebook ad spending throughout July to send a powerful message: “profits will never be worth promoting hate, bigotry, racism, antisemitism and violence.” More than 10 companies have signed on so far, and unsurprisingly, Patagonia, REI, and The North Face were among the first to join.
- To celebrate Pride, consider supporting any or all of these 32 incredible Black-led queer & trans organizations compiled by Bustle.
Listen:
- Tune in to listen to the winners of this year’s NPR Student Podcast Challenge — both winning teams were selected among 2,200 entries and tackle meaty themes including COVID, racism and climate change.
- Big news from the Chicks — as we’ve been eagerly awaiting the drop of their first album in over 14 years, Gaslighter (due out July 17th), in a bid to “meet the moment,” the trio dropped “Dixie” from their name, given it’s “a nostalgic nickname for the Civil War-era South.” While you wait, check out videos of their eponymous single and “March March.”
Read:
- Learn how Independence Day became a Black celebration of newly-won freedom for freedmen and freedwomen following the Civil War.
- New York Times’ Tara Parker-Pope provides this thoughtful primer to help you raise anti-racist children.
- Poet Caroline Randall Williams sends a powerful message on the “nostalgia” that some still insist on assigning to Confederate monuments.
- Jenna Arnold’s new book, Raising Our Hands: How White Women Can Stop Avoiding Hard Conversations, Start Accepting Responsibility, and Find Our Place on the New Frontlines is hot off the presses. Grab your copy here.
- For schools to reopen safely and equitably this fall following COVID-19 closures, Brooklyn Lab Charter Schools and several collaborators released a 100-page tool kit that addresses important health, safety, and social distancing considerations, as well as a scheduling map that explores early directions in staff scheduling, class configurations, and specialized settings, including those for special education.
- Our client Givelify, the mobile giving app used by 45,000+ churches and nonprofits, released Giving In Faith: How Coronavirus Widened the Digital Divide to better understand how faith-based giving has changed during the pandemic and what the future holds.
- NARAL President Ilyse Hogue’s new book, The Lie That Binds, offers an “unflinching look at the true origins of the right wing obsession with keeping half of the population ‘in their place.’” Pre-order today.
Watch:
- In response to the ongoing global COVID crisis and uprising for racial justice, Global Citizen will present Global Goal: Unite For our Future Summit and Concert this Saturday June 27th — an impressive A-list artist lineup will join hosts Dwayne Johnson, Katie Couric and NGOs, corporations and world leaders to unite and build a world for all.
- Check out Krystal Dillard & Chris Steinmeier from Natural Creativity Center, in conversation with Mom 2.0’s Jill Krause, to learn how to tap your children's natural creativity this summer. BONUS: Chris and Krystal also recently shared great family staycation tips with People.com.
- Participant Media’s award-winning America To Me docu-series, now available on Hulu and free to stream (with trial) on Starz, explores race and privilege at a progressive, top-performing high school. Truly eye-opening, must-watch television.
- It’s almost here! Watch the new Hamilton trailer and stream the film next Friday, July 3rd. Your July 4th weekend plans are now all set — you’re welcome. :)
Cheer:
- It’s Pride Month! In what is already being considered the largest LGBTI+ celebration ever, with politicians, activists, performers, and more than 500 organizations from 90+ countries participating in a 24-hour round-the-clock extravaganza, Global Pride promises to be a must-watch. Tune in Saturday, June 27th.
- We’re excited for our client Lisa Kenney, who recently launched Reimagine Gender, a new organization focused on the changing understandings of gender and the implications this has for families, social institutions, and corporations. Read Lisa’s recent Quartz piece here to learn more about what it means to reimagine gender at your company.
- The 19th, a nonpartisan newsroom reporting at the intersection of gender, politics and policy, will launch this summer to help empower women, particularly those underserved and underrepresented, with the resources they need to be equal participants in our democracy. The 19th recently announced its founding board members, including Susan, and as we get closer to the launch we’ll be sure to share more.
- More of this please! NASA announced it is renaming its D.C. offices to Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters in honor of the agency’s first Black female engineer (depicted in Hidden Figures by the formidable Janelle Monáe). We hope this is a small (but overdue) step by the agency, and a big leap for women of color and their tremendous legacy.
- Our future. Kudos to the sustainability leaders recognized in the Greenbiz 2020 30 Under 30!
Go:
- Aspen Ideas Festival launches on June 28th and will be all virtual this year — and FREE. Sign up to secure your spot today.
Apply:
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