What We Can Do
Published on June 3, 2020
Last Friday we had an open agency discussion about the social events of police brutality that have unfolded in the last few weeks and the ensuing protests. They were ignited by the murder of George Floyd but stoked as well by the deaths of Breonna Taylor, and in recent years Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Nina Pop, and Tony McDade. The list is exasperatingly long. It felt like we needed to talk about it.
The conversation was a good one. Full disclosure: I’m a white, hetero product of middle class upbringing. There are several others like me at our agency, but there are also folks representing all walks of life. We represent almost in equal numbers female voices, LGBTQ, African American, and immigrants. But this was a rare occasion for us to open up to one another directly to discuss, listen, and even plan some ways we as creative service people can do our part to move things in a positive direction.
We’re not always going to get it right. And we talked about the need for a little grace for one another as we try to do the right thing. However, the biggest mistake I feel we can make as an agency, and as individuals would be to provide lip service to these issues without backing it up with action. But the most interesting question we discussed is: what can we do? What can we really do? I’ve been made aware of some discussion around the difference between being an ally, an advocate, and an activist. In the next few paragraphs I’ll be using some of the ideas of Robyn De Leon, a sophomore at Loyola Marymount University in LA. ( bdeleon@theloyolan.com.) to share what we talked about in our agency discussion. Maybe it can be of help to you.
The ally is someone who doesn’t share the first hand experience of being in an oppressed group but listens, and attempts to understand and support it. By virtue of working closely with a diverse group of people at Circus Maximus, and more broadly in our creative industry each of us can be allies for others by listening. We work on a diverse set of clients, many of whom target different ages, demographics and need insightful messaging drawn from real experience beyond themselves to do it effectively. Through our diverse group of employees, our research, and our work we are exposed to narratives that exist outside of our own and give us the opportunity to see the world through others’ eyes. As an agency we’ve taken to opening spaces for discussions in weekly all agency chats where we share our perspectives with each other. We can be allies by listening and respecting these stories.
The advocate is a person who pleads the cause for another, potentially through legal or political channels. I’ll add business channels to that list. We discussed that as a creative business we have the opportunity to advocate for partners that represent marginalized or underrepresented backgrounds quite regularly. We can be advocates by including women and people of color as production partners, talent, and coworkers. We can also advocate through our clients as part of corporate social responsibility, and through organizations that operate in our industry to include these voices. Free the bid is a good example. And we can also push our clients to include these people and stories in their work. We have these opportunities to advocate for progress every day.
The activist is someone who supports strong actions such as public protests, in support for or opposition to one side of a controversial issue. As political culture has merged with pop culture we’ve had a lot of discussions around this topic, because a lot of our work can feel like activism whether we intend it to or not. As an agency we’ve partnered and participated in Pride, we’ve entertained working with political candidates, or for political causes. Today we’re participating in Blackout Tuesday as a show of solidarity with other creative industries who are demonstrating support for protests, and against police brutality. We can be activists through our work as an agency and as individuals.
It’s not going to be solved in a blog post. I realize that. I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know if I have any of the answers. I recognize it’s not like we can all flip a switch and resolve a social issue as old, as nuanced, and as intricately woven into our country’s fabric as systemic racism. But if we can take time to create spaces for one another to share their feelings, thoughts, and stories so that they don’t feel stifled we can find ways to be allies, advocates, and activists for change.
Resources:
The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.
Funds devoted to help low-income people, protestors and bystanders who have been unfairly arrested and must post high cash bails (another feature of our unjust system).
The Bail Project™ National Revolving Bail Fund is a critical tool to prevent incarceration and combat racial and economic disparities in the bail system.
Black Visions Collective (BLVC) believes in a future where all Black people have autonomy, safety is community-led, and we are in right relationship within our ecosystems.
50-a is a NYS statute that carves out unnecessary & harmful secrecy for police, fire and corrections. 50-a is routinely used to shield police misconduct and failed police disciplinary processes from public view. A repeal of 50-a would provide much needed transparency on police misconduct and discipline in New York State, and help address the systemic lack of accountability for officers who engage in misconduct.
Funds donated to Campaign Zero support the analysis of policing practices across the country, research to identify effective solutions to end police violence, technical assistance to organizers leading police accountability campaigns and the development of model legislation and advocacy to end police violence nationwide.
We design campaigns powerful enough to end practices that unfairly hold Black people back, and champion solutions that move us all forward. Until justice is real.
The Conscious Kid is an education, research and policy organization dedicated to reducing bias and promoting positive identity development in youth. We partner with organizations, children’s museums, schools, and families across the country to promote access to children’s books centering underrepresented and oppressed groups.
The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
This fund raises money to directly support George’s family with costs related to his death, including funeral and burial expenses, counseling and travel expenses for court proceedings as they continue their fight. The money will also go towards care for his children and their education fund.
David McAtee was killed in Louisville, Kentucky. He was a black restaurant owner in the community who was fatally shot by authorities around midnight on June 1st.
The Loveland Foundation, started by Rachel Cargle, is a nonprofit that provides financial assistance for Black women and girls seeking mental health support.
The Minnesota Freedom Fund pays criminal bail and immigration bond for those who cannot afford to as we seek to end discriminatory, coercive, and oppressive jailing.
We provide a supportive professional community and mutual aid network for wellness and healing justice practitioners who also identify as IBPOC (indigenous, black, or people of color). In order to reduce racial health disparities, we recognize the call for community care and collectivist cultural practices, for ourselves, our patients and students, and all Minnesotans.
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is America's premier legal organization fighting for racial justice.
By donating, you will support Reclaim the Block's work to make sure that our communities have the resources they need to thrive. Our grassroots group is up against the deep pockets of the Minneapolis police union, and we need your support.
