Amp spotlight: Straight talk on racism in advertising—and where to go from here

Last month, Amp members shared their strategies for agencies to ally with the Black Lives Matter protests against racial injustice. One major takeaway since the current movement started shaking the foundations of the country—and the industry—has been the importance of passing the mic. That is, taking a step back and giving BIPOC the opportunity to share their own experiences and take the lead. This month, we’re continuing the conversation and—following in the footsteps of Ad Age’s recent forum on the same subject—passing the mic to the people who have experienced racism and bias in the ad world firsthand: where it lives, the impact it has had and what needs to happen to put an end to it for future generations.

Sheanan Bond, VP, Office Services, Huge

“At 18, I had the opportunity to tour the creative department at General Motors. That was the first time I walked into a room where the energy said, ‘You don’t belong here.’ I have had white peers call me intimidating. I have gone to interviews and heard, ‘You are so articulate; I was expecting someone else.’ I have had a manager tell me my expectations were too high. I have heard a VP say of my team, primarily composed of Black and Brown folks, ‘Those people have no skills.’ Racism and microaggressions are ever present. I would like to see improved representation, wage equity, mentorship, leadership training and career development programs for Black and Brown employees. The road ahead is long and takes real commitment. I cannot help but think, ‘Damn, America. It took you long enough. Are you prepared to stay woke?’”

Evan Wooten, senior technical solutions manager, PMG

“I get to lead a fair amount of internal training, sit in at vendor sessions and pitch to clients, and I am often the unique Black person in these rooms. It takes hard work to build the muscle for speaking up in instances where your viewpoint is unique and it is wholly impossible if no one holds that viewpoint in the first place. We see this in ideas that should not have made it out the door, but also those that never get off the ground. I believe this will become an industry differentiator. Much like how one could not operate on a global scale without locational diversity, we cannot hope to advertise to a diverse audience from a homogeneous workforce.”

Reonna Johnson, VP and Director, Marketing and Business Development, RPA

“Systemic racism is an ideology and hegemony—an expectation of me to be a person who presents in a palatable manner to white people. It’s part of the system and part of an unpublished rulebook I unconsciously follow. The industry must make a seismic shift. Things can get better but only if senior leaders hold themselves accountable, set true measurable goals and treat this problem like a business problem they need to solve.”

Kenny Nguyen, Co-Founder and CEO, ThreeSixtyEight

“As someone who frequently speaks in public, I get hit pretty often with, ‘You speak well for an Asian person.’ It's a backhanded compliment that essentially says, ‘Despite all the blood, sweat and tears it's taken for you to get to where you are, I am surprised you succeeded because of the color of your skin.’ Making unconscious bias training mandatory for all leaders that hire or manage staff is a great start to become better allies, as well as regularly tweaking recruiting, hiring, onboarding and creative processes.”

Apryl Gordy, Senior QA Analyst, Technology, Huge

“One of the most abhorrent incidents happened in front of a client: One of my teammates told me I should wear big gold chains and a grill because I was a thug. The entire room of white men chuckled. It was one of the most damaging and deflating moments. There has never been space for Black people here, and when we are hired, our lone faces become the diversity agencies speak of. When you acknowledge what's wrong on a systemic level and approach it with sincere intentions and tactics, you can change the narrative. I wonder how companies will continue to show up when Black Lives Matter no longer takes over their timeline.”

Justin Hutchinson, Partnership Coordinator, ThreeSixtyEight

“I've experienced racism in tone-deaf remarks like, ‘You don't sound like a Black guy.’ There is a stigma that a black male should sound a certain way or speak with a lack of eloquence. Agencies must assess how they treat employees, and install gut checks where possible. Ask yourself this: If x made the same mistake as z, would I react the same? If you struggle to find the answer, you may have an unconscious bias. For African-American women, oftentimes candor is viewed as anger. It's about time we embraced their words, actions and energy.”

Vishan Butt, Director, Someplace Nice

“It was a bit surprising when I re-sent the same cold emails to the same people using a white-sounding name, two months later, and got significantly more replies. I’m optimistic because I think we're seeing honest conversations happening now. I hope this time around it’s permanent, because something like this doesn’t have a one-time fix—it’s a process.”

Joel Johnson, Chief Strategist and Partner, Admirable Devil

“To young Black, Brown, or Indigenous advertising professionals: Find a mentor of color. Look to your alumni networks, professional Black and Brown business associations, your family and community. When leadership at your agency inevitably asks if there are more of you, say yes. Look to the juniors in your ranks and be for them what the industry could not be for you. A mentor is not the answer to systemic racism but can be how you survive it as we collectively work to wind it down with our presence, action and bond.”

Adib Alkhalidey, Director, Someplace Nice

“While in casting a few years back, a client had chosen a dozen of their employees to be featured on the small screen. The idea was to feel their warmth and charisma while showing the diversity of the staff. Naturally, the producers excluded any participant who didn't inspire warmth. The two people who ended up on that very short list were the only people of color of the group.”

Jason Rawlins, Senior Business Director, Night After Night

“Agencies need to hire Black professionals in senior level, gatekeeper roles that dictate the makeup of their workforce. This will open doors for Black professionals to get tapped to run campaigns outside of the ‘urban/multicultural’ projects we’re often hired to lead. Also, hire Black women, who continue to be undervalued, underpaid and underrepresented in an industry that consistently pulls from their influence for inspiration.”