Worcester Business Journal Special Editions

42 Worcester Business Journal T he killing of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis po- lice officer, filmed for us all to witness, was truly horrific. e nation, and for that matter the world, has borne witness to the senseless- ness of his death, and responded with a call to action unlike any time in the past. As members of our black community know all too well, Floyd's killing is far from a unique occurrence. People of color have been mistreated and murdered since slavery first took root in America more than 400 years ago - well before our nation was born. e video of Floyd's death, when added to those who came before, and aer him, provide indisputable evidence of injustice to those who have been giving the issue lip service, or looking the other way. e issue has forced those of us in a position of privilege, who would rather not think about or confront such uncom- fortable issues, to examine who we are as people and a society. While talent and potential are dispersed equally throughout our population, oppor- tunity is not. In order for our economy and our society to function at its highest level, we need to provide equal opportunity and just treatment to every one of our citizens. Only aer we maximize the talent in our community can we become greater than the sum of our parts. Clearly, this is not happening. What Floyd's killing and the ensuing global Black Lives Matter protests bring into stark reality is our black and other communities of color are suffering not only from a strong racial bias from our law enforcement, but from other institutions as old as the country itself. History makes it crystal clear these recent events are not iso- lated incidents, but are indicative of larger systemic issues needing to be addressed now, not sometime down the road. Now. As a media organization, we are commit- ted to remaining open to all opinions and unbiased in our coverage of the issues impacting our Central Massachusetts busi- ness community. We hold certain values to be true, which inform our decision-making processes in our news coverage. Some of them, simply, are: A growing economy is good, low unemployment also is good, and equal opportunity must be given to all, regardless of gender, race, or sexual orien- tation. Just look at our children: Racism and prejudice are learned, not innate to our society. It's not a short road to eliminate them, but it's a battle we must all undertake with renewed vigor. Much of our society has woken up to the spirit of the Black Lives Matter protests and now is demanding justice, while others may not be there yet. We encourage and value respectful discourse between thoughtful individuals. Yet, much of the discourse around Black Lives Matter is not thoughtful or respectful. Phrases like "All Lives Matter" or "Blue Lives Matter" ignore the principles at the heart of this discus- sion. It is possible to be opposed to police brutality and not be opposed to the police, just like you can support doctors without supporting medical malpractice. Police have a difficult job to do, but the blind acceptance of brutality as part of that job is counterintuitive to who we aspire to be as a community. We can no longer remain blind to the issue, and any system that has institutionalized the protection of bad actors needs to be reformed. We cover a diverse community, espe- cially in Worcester and the other larger communities in Central Massachusetts. We have been aware of the need for diversity of gender, race and ethnicity in WBJ's coverage, and will strive even more to include as many voices and diverse backgrounds in our stories as possible. Yet, in our reporting, we've rarely sought to address the issues specifically impact- ing one ethnic group or another. is will change. e heavy coverage in this June 22 edition of the problems in our black business community is not just a one-off, but the beginning of a new area of coverage for us. Our readers will get the same great coverage of health care, real estate, manu- facturing, higher education and other core Central Massachusetts industries – as well as the business community as a whole – but our coverage of diversity and inclusion issues will grow. – Peter Stanton & Brad Kane, publisher & editor Picking up the fight against institutional racism 1 0 1 : W hether concerning COVID-19 changes or reaction to racial issues aer the death of George Floyd – a black man killed by a white Minneapolis police officer – company statements have been issued at a furious pace. In terms of leadership, they are necessary, according to experts, but can backfire if not backed by action. Here are concepts on company statements and how businesses should look at them in these crucial times. Leaders should not assume their orga- nization's stances on issues are known. ere is risk in being silent on issues such as racism, says Forbes Contributor Terina Allen. "If your organization isn't firmly on record as standing against racial injustice, then you are creating a wide-open gap for people to presume you just might be for it," she says in an article on the George Floyd killing and conversations leaders should be having. Noting these are diffi- cult and uncomfortable issues, she said not only consumers are paying attention – but employees. "If you deem yourself a leader, this crisis is yours," she says of the Floyd killing. With statements should come action, says J. Walker Smith, chief knowledge officer of brand and marketing at Kantar, a global insights, data and consulting company. Consumers expect companies to practice what they preach, he told Mar- ketWatch.com. "ey want to see brands do something," Smith said, "use their institutional weight and authority to make a contribution to the communities in which they operate." Examples: Donating money and manufacturing face masks in the coronavirus outbreak. Above all, don't be vague. is is no time for platitudes, said Wendy Melil- lo, associate professor of journalism at American University of Washington, D.C. She told CNBC putting out a statement for the sake of doing so is easily seen as inauthentic. "People are just going to call that out," she said. "It's not truthful, it isn't transparent … It looks opportunistic." BY SUSAN SHALHOUB Special to the Worcester Business Journal W M A K I N G S T A T E M E N T S

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