As the reckoning over racism continues in America, it’s time for corporations to lead the way to a more equitable future. This week alone, we have seen Quaker Oats & Uncle Ben’s remove racist icons on products like Aunt Jemima & Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice. #velshi
There’s no space in 2020 for products that monetized racist tropes associated with slavery & Jim Crow. Changing logos is more symbolic than substantive, but it is a step in the right direction, one that is being led by businesses & consumers, not by our government. #velshi
We often vilify big corporations, but there are moments in our capitalist society where they can lead rather than follow. After the Parkland shooting, Dick’s Sporting Goods stopped selling assault-style guns & high capacity magazines and all guns to people under 21. #velshi
Although more out of necessity than morality, large retailers like Walmart & Target have driven minimum wage reforms & climate initiatives. Companies like Patagonia & Ben & Jerry’s have gone farther, taking meaningful stands on social & environmental issues. #velshi
Ben & Jerry’s skipped all the corporate PR jargon recently with a statement that read, “We must dismantle white supremacy.” That’s the kind of straight talk that earns them my ice cream business, even though I’m lactose intolerant. #velshi
Companies live in fear that taking a stand on political & social issues will scare off some of their customers. It will, but that’s OK. Alienating climate deniers & racists is cool. You’ll have new customers, young ones who will be with you for decades to come. #velshi
Millennials & Gen Z, who are now nearly 40% of U.S. consumers, want corporations to take a stand. A Deloitte survey found that nearly a quarter of millennials globally say they’ll willingly back away from a company that doesn’t take the right political positions. #velshi
Today’s consumers want the companies they support to be creating a more just society. Trust in the government is low & few people believe that real change will make it through the current extreme partisanship in D.C. #velshi