So I know we’re only in day 2 of this blogs 2021 life … but I gave you a couple of weeks of peace to ease into the year and wrote an exceptional bad post – even by my low standards – to prepare you for the onslaught so I feel I’ve been very respectful.
Talking of respectful, here’s an example of people doing the absolute opposite of it.
OK, this happened last year – the year where everything was shit – but it still blows my mind this shit is still being spouted.
What’s worse is when I first saw it – and tweeted about it – a person I vaguely know stood up for it.
Went on about how it’s hard to hire people of colour people there’s not many out there.
That he – as a small business owner – had to go for the best person who is easiest to get because he can’t spend time searching.
Bizarrely, this was his attempt to show he wasn’t racist – because “he saw no colour, just wanted talent”.
Of course he saw no colour, he was just hiring white people.
But then this is not a new excuse spouted by people being racist – whether conscious or not.
Putting aside the fact people who ‘see no colour’ are basically admitting they define and judge others by their own standards or expectations, which – by the nature of corporate hierarchy – are white standards. And putting aside the fact that maybe their attitude to want ‘easy’ stops any person of colour applying because they think they stand no chance of being given a shot. The reality is this abdication of guilt, blame throwing and deliberate ignorance are classic signs of racism.
Talent is everywhere.
Open the door and you will see them.
If you claim you don’t, it’s either because you’re not looking or they know you won’t let them succeed.
Adland is so guilty of this.
A few months ago – when Black Lives Matter was on the front pages of the World’s newspapers – the industry was screaming about how they wanted to make a difference.
Create huge change.
Well, adland … where’s the fuck is it?
Where’s the leadership changes?
Where’s the over-indexing of people of colour being hired?
Where’s the shifts in pay and promotion structures to create fundamental change?
Recently I wrote a tweet:
“Given adland has stopped being vocal about the need to be better with D&I practices, have we solved it?”
One of the people who responded told me how many agencies had actively changed their policies.
How committed they were to changing things.
And while that was nice to hear, the problem is the person who said this was white.
White people do not get to say if things are changing.
White people do not get to say if things are working.
White people do not get to place the burden of responsibility on others.
The only people who can say things are changing – or working – are people of colour.
That we fail to see this shows how far we have to go.
And the really worrying thing is people of colour may just give up on us.
They may take their talent and just go work in totally different industries.
One that sets them up for success.
Values their authenticity not their complicity.
Respects their talent and remunerates them fairly for it.
I wouldn’t blame them for it.
In some ways, I just wish they all got together and started their own company.
My god how amazing would that be.
It would also be the one thing that almost guarantees change would happen in adland.
Because while agencies may have good intentions, they suck at making things happen.
It seems most of the time the attitude is ‘how do we get all the benefits without the effort?’
If the situation was truly as bleak as they – and bank CEO’s – seem to think, why aren’t they investing in development of talent and operational change to liberate this incredible talent pool? Why do they get to just ‘bemoan’ the lack of talent rather than actually do something to change that situation.
I believe there’s two reasons.
1. They don’t want the hassle – professionally or economically.
2. They know there’s talent out there, they just don’t want to hire it.
Please note I’m not saying investment in education and infrastructure change would be wrong.
We know that people of colour are continually disadvantaged by a system designed by white people, for white people.
By changing that, we would see the potential of millions literally being realised … people who could and would make a difference. Not just for other people of colour, but all people … because while they should be prejudiced to those who have held them back for centuries, they’re not.
We can only dream of being that decent.
But it’s important to note that only embracing that view dismisses the huge number of people of colour who have defied every obstacle placed in their way to be ready to make a difference.
I don’t mean are ready ‘to be trained’ to make a difference, I mean are ready to make a difference.
People already doing amazing things – creatively and commercially.
Who have worked twice as hard to get half the benefits.
Expressing their talent in ways that go far beyond just making ads, but literally adding and creating culture rather than – as many of us white people do – take from it.
If the industry is serious about change, then the best thing we can do is stop spouting shit like ‘we see no colour’ and do the opposite … because one of the best ways to change this situation is to actually start seeing it.
Openning our eyes to the talent that is on our doorstep. In our offices. In our communities.
Because while those who choose to deny their existence may like to think they’re making a statement of fact.
Or expressing some sort of superior standard.
We know the the truth is they’re admitting they don’t look because they don’t care.
Fuck each and everyone of them.