Today’s viewpoint is from MABR student Yangyang Lin.
I was heartbroken and furious to see the protests and riots that happened in the nation in the midst of the pandemic, we are living in a racism pandemic. People lost their loved ones, families were broken, communities were scared, states were on lockdowns, and businesses were significantly affected by the pandemic-driven lockdowns. COVID-19 outbreak has a substantial impact on global economy and personal life, that will last long in our memories. The pain is personal, emotional, psychological, societal, economic and cultural, and it will leave scars.
The racial injustice issue is not the one that organizations or their leaders can ignore. Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream brand took a stand on systemic racism after the murder of George Floyd by inhumane police brutality in May, the statement from Ben & Jerry’s was comprehensive and direct, addressing the historical roots of discrimination in the United States and calling out systemic racism, while advocating specific policies to prevent further police abuses. Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream brand is authentic, courageous, empathetic, resilient, and committed to social goods.
Fortunately, we have observed that many companies including Nike, Netflix, Disney and Facebook have condemned racial injustice in recent days. It is deeply important for brands to take a stand on ending systemic racism and respond to racial injustice to earn or keep the trust, rather than staying silent, how a brand responds to the protests against racism has a big effect on consumers’ likelihood to purchase from the brand. The brands that put action behind their words right now are the ones that stand to build deeper bonds and loyalty among existing consumers, as well as win new business.
However, it is not enough for brands to issue a statement, share a hashtag or promote a one-time donation. Brands need to go beyond public statements to get specific about how they are supporting anti-racism causes and share what they are doing as a business to implement meaningful change. Brands must overcome consumer skepticism and take a concrete action to end systemic racism externally and internally. Anyone at any level of the organization, should take small steps to exercise greater compassion and initiate action that provides needed support and promotes racial justice for Black workers as well as others who are marginalized.
Racism is everyone’s problem because it erodes the fabric of society. Brands, use your power, platform, and resources to help employees and communities overcome these challenges and build a better world for us all. We are all in this together. All of us united.