“Let nobody give you the impression that the problem of racial injustice will work itself out. Let nobody give you the impression that only time will solve the problem. That is a myth.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., June 1965
The events of these past few weeks have once again highlighted the hundreds of years of injustice faced by African Americans, indigenous peoples, and other people of color in the United States. We have no excuses. It’s been 56 years since the Civil Rights Act was signed into law, 52 years since the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and nearly 30 years since the police beating of Rodney King here in Los Angeles. Yet, we continue to bear witness to racial injustice on a daily basis.
Today, we want to commit to MarketCast employees, clients and the greater community we serve that we will focus our efforts on racial equality and justice. We will start by examining our own culture and practices, including the creation and complete embrace of a robust and meaningful Diversity and Inclusion program.
With the help of third-party experts, we will review and refine many of our internal policies, including creating a workplace environment and recruiting practices that attract and retain diverse candidates, as well as nurture future leaders.
While these efforts will require time and thoughtful planning, we are also committing to these more immediate changes:
- Identifying and partnering with a racial justice or other policy organization on an annual basis to provide access to our expert research and data analytics services pro-bono.
- Setting a date for an annual MarketCast Day of Service with the focus on helping organizations that serve people of color.
- Starting a leadership mentoring program for our diverse employees and increasing our racial bias training.
- Publishing and sharing our diversity data annually with employees and clients to show our progress.
These are our first steps in a long-term plan for change within our company and our community. It’s time.