In a recent Hartford Courant op-ed by Joanne Berger-Sweeney, the first Black and female president of Trinity College and professor of neuroscience, and Sonia Cardenas, acting dean of the faculty, vice president for academic affairs and professor of political science, they write “It’s time to go further. In a deeply divided society, we all have a responsibility to practice moral humility. None of us is innocent in the continuum of racism.” https://www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-berger-sweeney-cardenas-trinity-0610-20200610-3dxv3stgrffonh3bt4isire6oq-story.html They offer a thoughtful perspective leaders of corporate America would be wise to consider. Brand Activism meet Moral Humility.
Definition
Moral Humility is a virtue composed of having (a) a recognition of one’s own moral fallibility, (b) an appreciation for the moral strengths and moral views of others, and (c) a moral perspective that transcends the self.
Collision Course
COVID-19 laid bare the issues in our underserved Black and brown communities. Problems that could not be ignored: higher infection rates due to dense housing, and essential workers without PPE; higher death rates because of a preponderance of underlying conditions; the neediest kids marooned in a distanced-learning world without internet and devices; service employee layoffs; and massive food insecurity. These fault lines compounded with the raw horror of George Floyd’s murder convulsed the Black Lives Matter movement in this country and around the world.
Corporate Backlash
Brand activism went on full display in corporate America, as the C-suite was pressure-tested by consumers who wanted to know where they stood. Many posted to their social accounts. ViacomCBS tweeted “Black Lives Matter. Black Culture Matters. Black Communities Matter” while its cable properties went dark for 8:46 on #BlackoutTuesday. Twitter changed its iconic image to black with the Black Lives Matter hashtag. Nike tweeted, “For once, don’t do it.” L’Oréal tweeted, “Speaking out is worth it.” Each endured backlash for brand hypocrisy and they were not alone.
Throw Money
Others backed up their rhetoric with donations. Intel committed $1M to address social justice and racism. You Tube pledged $1M to support efforts to address social justice. Peloton and Twitter pledged to donate $500,000 to the NAACP’s legal defense fund. Facebook pledged to donate $10M to groups fighting racial inequality – but as CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post “I know, $10M can’t fix this.” The sincerity of these decisions was questioned, considering the dismal track record of diversity hiring – especially in the tech sector. In fact, only one Black person was in the room when senior Facebook management chose not to delete or slap a warming on Trump’s post “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” causing employee walk-outs, resignations and advertiser flight.
Bring Change
Brand activism informed by moral humility would be a much more powerful, authentic, and genuine investment of time, talent, and resources. To admit failings and address root causes head on has always been a prescription for forgiveness, loyalty, and sometimes admiration. To thoughtfully create true partnerships which address systemic issues like access to internet, education equality, pay equity, affordable housing, and food insecurities would place brands and their consumers squarely in the position of being profound change agents. Brand activism at this depth would be good for the country and good for business.
