With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, so many other social injustices have come to light. If you’re a business, it’s not the easiest of times to manage your social media accounts. That’s why we invited Katie Kern and Lee Deas, the co-founders of Agencies Act in Solidarity, to talk to us about how a business can support social justice issues and do it well. Here’s a summary of our chat.
Guests: Katie Kern from @MediaFrenzyGlob and Lee Deas from @obviouslee
Topic: Supporting Social Justice Issues as a Business
Format: Eight questions directed at the guests. Everyone’s welcome to share.
It’s important to remember that even if your employees or team mates don’t openly talk about a specific social justice issue in the workplace, almost everyone is thinking about or is affected by it.
Acknowledging it will help you and those around you recognize the harsher impacts of social imbalances. And as our guest pointed out, ignoring it will only increase unconscious biases.
Ignoring social justice issues that your workforce is dealing w/ outside of work can, in turn, affect productivity and morale in the workplace. Ignoring polarizing social justice issues can even increase unconscious biases that could wreak havoc on your culture. #TwitterSmarter
— Media Frenzy Global (@MediaFrenzyGlob) July 16, 2020
Lee also reminded us that the best way to ensure your efforts bring about change is to be transparent about your goals and values.
A1: If we seek change, we need to be bold and transparent about our personal beliefs and our company's core values. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/5W1SxlDHUC
— obviouslee (@obviouslee) July 16, 2020
And that includes being transparent with your employees. A lot of businesses project themselves as honest and straightforward with customers, all the while feeding unhealthy politics within and keeping employees in the dark. That’s not ideal—to make a difference, you have to be upfront about who you are and what you stand for.
A1: As a business, transparency is key. Internally and externally. Your employees need to know you stand for something and so do your stakeholders. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/cXwEhXMe4C
— Media Frenzy Global (@MediaFrenzyGlob) July 16, 2020
Above all, as Coleen so well put it, not voicing your support publicly only makes you part of the problem.
A1. I think you should voice about social injustice because it's the right thing to do. It's important to stand with people who need it. It's important to say something because saying nothing makes you part of the problem. #TwitterSmarter
— Coleen Warden (@ColeenWarden) July 16, 2020
Lee explained the importance of action. Sure, so many people talk about what they’d like to do and how they’d help if they could. Instead of talking, focus more on doing. For instance, aside from sharing posts about how you support a cause, consider broader aspects like donating to organizations that work to solve the problem. Or if you’re talking about lack of diversity, share more details about how you’re tackling that in your business.
Act, not stand.
✅Share your diversity plan.
✅Vote! Also make sure your team has the time to vote.
✅Give time & money to organizations tackling these issues.#TwitterSmarter https://t.co/KTlAI9Mc0a— obviouslee (@obviouslee) July 16, 2020
Remember the key phrase Katie told us: there’s strength in numbers. The more people you show your support to, the stronger your voice will become.
A2: As a business, it’s important to show your support to clients, vendors and most importantly, your team. There is strength in numbers. #StrongerTogether #twittersmarter https://t.co/AUe5QyItCu
— Media Frenzy Global (@MediaFrenzyGlob) July 16, 2020
If you can’t donate money, donate time, as Jignesh suggested. A lot of social organizations rely heavily on funding, but even more so on human hands. Whether it’s an hour every week or more frequently, do your part to support a cause you care about. And while you’re at it, you’ll also learn so much more about the issue you’re dealing with and all the various people supporting it alongside you. Knowledge is a great enabler.
A2.
Educate yourself on a particular movement
Take action in your community
Share posts of others
Volunteer your time#TwitterSmarter— Jignesh Thakkar (@socialjignesh) July 16, 2020
Absolutely. Every individual has the responsibility to acknowledge issues and voice their opinion. As Katie said, employers should empower their staff members to take the reins and lead by example.
A3: Speaking up about social justice issues is a personal journey and businesses should support and encourage their employees in anyway they can. We can all learn from one another and do better if lack of diversity is an issue. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/4gJutLITqW
— Media Frenzy Global (@MediaFrenzyGlob) July 16, 2020
Lee shared the inspirational story of Nathan Young who publicly called out his employer for not acknowledging that Black Lives Matter. It brought about such big action that the entire workforce demanded change.
A3: Yes, it's important to address the need to do better. A good example is how @notnathan of @600andrising spoke up on social media about his company not being willing to acknowledge #BLM publicly & that resulted in a full staff walkout & demand for changes. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/qxVHmx1W7Y
— obviouslee (@obviouslee) July 16, 2020
As Jim mentioned, however, it’s also important that your employees know whom to turn to when they want change. It takes a lot of self-learning, but employers can also do their part by conducting workshops, open discussions, and promoting a healthy mindset overall.
A3 Employees need to be well versed about how and by whom changes get made in their company. It takes effort, but it's better to work within the system rather than scale the castle walls. #TwitterSmarter
— Jim Katzaman – Get Debt-Free One Family at a Time (@JKatzaman) July 16, 2020
One of the best ways to fix a social problem is by removing the taboo of talking about it. For instance, the more employees discuss issues within their company, the more widespread the topic becomes, forcing management to make a change. That’s why it’s important to educate each other—and remember that everyone’s learning. It’s crucial to communicate effectively and not to let ego get in the way.
Very important question! We have to learn how to communicate with each other about social issues, like race. The more we educate each other and hold each other accountable for making things right, businesses will move in the right direction. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/0eh2kN0rcD
— Media Frenzy Global (@MediaFrenzyGlob) July 16, 2020
Lee reinstated the importance of group communication and learning. She also told us about the Racial Equity Institute that has a lot of helpful information and workshops. It’s certainly a great resource to tackle one of the major issues on our society.
A4: We can…
1⃣ Educate
2⃣ Train
3⃣ Provide tools to actively learn and combat racismRacial Equity Institute has excellent workshops – https://t.co/PGeDhThlkI. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/qdY9nxzoVt
— obviouslee (@obviouslee) July 16, 2020
As Aditi pointed out, everyone battling social injustice needs privileged folks standing by their side. For example, BIPOC communities need white allies, LQBTQI+ groups need support from cisgendered people. That’s what makes us human race more rounded as one.
A4: As a POC, recognizing that in order to make change, we need white allies by our side, who can be the ones that help people learn & grow, while making space for our voices at the table. #twittersmarter
— Aditi Srivastav PhD, MPH (@aditisrivastav) July 16, 2020
The first thing would be to accept and acknowledge that there are diversity issues. As long as you recognize it and walk towards changing it, you’re progressing. As our guest mentioned, a lot of business might not even accept that they lack diversity. Running away from a problem never solves it.
Diversity is a broad term and if we are talking about what is happening as a response to the George Floyd murder, businesses have to acknowledge they have a RACE problem. Then the conversations and the healing begins. #twittersmarter https://t.co/mfPOudRdHs
— Media Frenzy Global (@MediaFrenzyGlob) July 16, 2020
To see that you even have a race problem, you have to be transparent and honest about who you are as a person, as a business. As Lee told us, the more willing you are to improve, the easier it will become. She also shared the solidarity plan she and her team put together. Have a look at it for insightful tips.
The next step, once you’ve realized that you have a race issue within your business, is to bring about some new policies, like Nathalie mentioned. Diversity should become part of the core business values. Only then can you move forward and hire more diverse people, implementing your policies.
A5. Business owners must establish core values that support diversity and inclusion. After they are established, they must become infused in every touchpoint! #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/7sWCwXxOfd
— Nathalie Gregg (@NathalieGregg) July 16, 2020
Unfortunately, yes. But don’t let that deter you. Like Lee said, it’s always better to face backlash than to remain silently complicit.
A6: Yes, all strong beliefs will most likely come with backlash. But if the options are silence and complicity or potential backlash, opt for potential backlash.#TwitterSmarter https://t.co/vOPOQyHypM
— obviouslee (@obviouslee) July 16, 2020
Hima echoed the same opinion. Just because it’s the tough thing to do, doesn’t mean you should take the easier route and remain silent. Always choose to do the right thing, even if it’s the less popular option.
A6: Yes, whenever you will voice against something inappropriate or rigid thought process , you are going to face backlash. But, aim is to never stop saying what yih feel is right for society to progress as one. Be the voice of righteousness! #TwitterSmarter
— Hima Pujara (@hima_pujara) July 16, 2020
Katie added that it’s common to get backlash if you seem fake or the values you promote don’t align with your actions. However, we’re all in different stages of learning, and so it’s important to be kind and considerate towards other businesses that are trying to do better.
A6: It’s very common for businesses to receive backlash for supporting social issues of it’s not coming from an authentic place. With that being said, never shame a business for wanting to do and be better. We all deserve grace. This is how we grow! #twittersmarter https://t.co/2KOvkDBX3P
— Media Frenzy Global (@MediaFrenzyGlob) July 16, 2020
Supporting a social justice cause is always risky. That said, just remember what Richard Branson says about risk taking, “every risk is worth taking as long as it is for a good cause.”
A7: As Richard Branson says, "every risk is worth taking as long as it is for a good cause." With backlash, we would hold to our beliefs and be open, listen and communicate where we need to do better.#TwitterSmarter https://t.co/tXHOF8cUHV
— obviouslee (@obviouslee) July 16, 2020
As Lee emphasized, if it’s a good cause worth fighting for, go for it. Don’t let social media backlash bring you down.
After all, as Katie put it, you can’t make everyone happy on social media. You just have to be ok with that.
A7: You deal with backlash on social media with honesty and transparency. We all know, you will never make everyone on social media happy and businesses have to be ok with it. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/ai1BgHNRI7
— Media Frenzy Global (@MediaFrenzyGlob) July 16, 2020
Kennedy from Rob & Kennedy suggested another good way to deal with backlash. You can avoid a lot of angry outbreaks on social media if you just let the other person explain their stance. Instead of retorting or retreating, consider probing them—why do they say what they say?
A7. I don't come to social to argue, I come to connect, positively impact & bring value.
I'm not a fan of confrontation and don't understand it. But I LIVE to hear view points.
I deal by asking for more and listening. That puts aggressors off their stride too #TwitterSmarter
— Rob & Kennedy ? The Email Marketing Heroes (@RobandKennedy) July 16, 2020
A good way to support social causes, is to get involved in local communities as a business. Rally your employees as well, and make it a regular part of your activities. Aside from donating money and time, you can also help organize educational workshops or guidance programs.
A8: Get involved in your community as a business. Make social justice and community involvement a part of your company culture and values. It’s a game changer for overall morale. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/UtdFWqx9Um
— Media Frenzy Global (@MediaFrenzyGlob) July 16, 2020
And of course, vote for positive change. And encourage your employees and local communities to vote as well.
A8: VOTE. And allowing time for your team to get out and do the same. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/hl15Q9rZIJ
— obviouslee (@obviouslee) July 16, 2020
John told us about Tracy Brown’s What is mine to do movement. Check out the website—it’s a good resource for people who want to actively help reduce race-based violence.
A8: SO MANY WAYS! Rather than try to list 'em, I'd like to point to resources like Tracy Brown's https://t.co/UoBzqSGAkK that can help you support causes effectively. #TwitterSmarter
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) July 16, 2020
Well folks, that’s all from me this week. Thanks for reading and for more great insights from our chat with Katie and Lee, check out this Twitter Moment that Joana put together. And if you’ve got any time to spare next Thursday, join us at 1pm ET for the next #TwitterSmarter chat.
About me, Narmadhaa:
I write all things—technical and marketing copy to fill the pocket; haiku and short stories to fill the soul. A social media enthusiast, I’m a member of the #TwitterSmarter chat crew, and always happy to take on writing gigs.
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