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Statements of condemnation came first. But what’s the industry’s next move? The answers aren’t always black and white (or Black and white).

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The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers earlier this year sparked a wave of protests against racism – and an acknowledgment that even in our industry, people are suffering. There’s a tendency to think that Black people with executive titles don’t face the same dangers as others. But as Kamau Witherspoon, Mark McGrew and Marcus Adair can attest, career success doesn’t change the color of their skin.

Witherspoon, the senior VP of operations at Target, was accosted in his own kitchen by three cops with guns after someone reported a suspicious Black man running through his upscale neighborhood. McGrew, chief communications and corporate responsibility officer at Constellation Brands, was followed through a store that his company supplies by a manager who suspected him of shoplifting. And Adair, sales and marketing VP at HomeMaker Juice, was pulled over in a small Southern town for what he can only surmise was driving an expensive car while Black. And the injustices don’t end there. For many Black professionals, they follow them into the workplace where there are precious few role models or mentors who can advocate on their behalf. In fact, only 3.2% of executive or senior leadership roles and less than 1% of all Fortune 500 CEO positions are held by Black professionals.

As a result, 65% of Black executives surveyed for a recent study by the Center for Talent Innovation believe Black employees have to work harder to advance while only 16% of their white colleagues agree. Moreover, 58% of Black professionals – and a whopping 79% of those in the Midwest – report having experienced racial prejudice at their work versus 15% of whites. Another 43% of Black executives have had colleagues use racially insensitive language in their presence. (And that’s not including countless microaggressions, everything from assumptions that Black professionals hold lower positions to “compliments” about being articulate.)

“I’m often one of very few Black people – especially Black women – at conferences and other industry events,” confirms Sonya Williams, director of procurement at Los Angeles-based Califia Farms, which boasts one of the industry’s more diverse executive teams. “And I do feel that I have to be better and work harder than everyone else, that it’s not good enough to just be ‘on par’ with my peers,” she says, echoing a belief among many Black professionals that, unlike their white colleagues, they can’t afford to screw up.

The thing is, it’s really the companies that can’t afford not to have Black people in their executive ranks. For example, says Williams, imagine how things might have been different if the management teams at Aunt Jemima or Uncle Ben’s had included more people of color. They would’ve let company leaders know years ago that those brands are offensive to a group that represents a bigger percentage of its customer base every year – and largely avoided a public relations headache.

“The most common age for a white American is 58, for a Black American, 27, and for a Hispanic American, 11,” explains Bob Shaw, founder and president of Charlotte, N.C.-based marketing firm Concentric. So regardless of your target audience today, “for almost all brands, your future consumer will be increasingly diverse,” making Black perspectives even more important.

STEP 1: ADMIT THERE’S A PROBLEM

So what can retailers and manufacturers do for not only their employees but their customers? The first step, says Williams, is to acknowledge that racism exists. The second is to talk about it. Those conversations can be extremely difficult, but before you can even begin to formulate solutions, you have to really understand the scope of the problem. Listening is key.

And remember, it’s not about you, says Califia Farms CEO Greg Steltenpohl. So don’t be offended by any criticism. It’s not personal; it’s constructive. “Try to really learn and appreciate what it’s like to live for a day in another person’s shoes. And have the humility to not be prescriptive.”

The next step is to get your own house in order. Look at the makeup of your executive team and consider creating a group to help recruit and develop Black talent. Many companies have also established African American associate groups to not only support each other but to advise management on issues of importance to Black employees. Those are the easy things companies can do. After that, it gets a little trickier.

Although younger consumers in particular are more closely attuned to the political leanings of companies whose brands they buy or whose stores they patronize, “It is not the responsibility of every company to have a point of view on every issue,” says Shaw. “However, it is more and more expected that beyond selling goods, companies will be good corporate citizens who genuinely care about their employees and their consumers.” He adds, “Writing checks and putting statements out on social media can provide a quick win” – and occasionally an unexpected backlash. “But I think more meaningful change is what people are really after.”

The degree to which a company chooses to support the official Black Lives Matter movement, which has become increasingly polarizing, is less important than demonstrating an authentic desire to end racial discrimination and support fair and equal treatment of Black people, explains Shaw. So while you don’t necessarily have to formally proclaim “Black Lives Matter,” you do have to show that Black lives matter. It’s more about very specific actions – particularly at the local level – than words.

Shaw adds that actions perceived as “too political” one way or the other can easily antagonize 40% of the population. However, “basic support for positive change and values comes off as less polarizing and more beneficial.”

What about companies whose customer base is “less evolved” on issues of racial justice? Might they be better off just sitting this one out? Not taking a stand can be interpreted as complacency or, worse yet, tacit approval, answers Valeria Piaggio, head of identity and inclusion insights for the consulting division of London-based Kantar.

“But it’s not about making a big political statement that might alienate some customers; it’s about making sure you’re not part of the problem.” She adds, “If NASCAR can do that, any company can.”

At the other end of the spectrum are companies that are expected to take a strong stand (think Ben & Jerry’s or Whole Foods – though the latter has gotten some negative headlines recently for not allowing associates to wear Black Lives Matter masks).

“The progressive consumer is the backbone of our industry,” says Steltenpohl of Califia, which produces plant-based milk. “Plus, we take a holistic view of health. And you can’t be healthy in a toxic culture. So [backing the Black Lives Matter movement] was an easy, safe decision for us.” He adds that Califia Farms recently joined hundreds of companies that have halted spending on Facebook and Instagram over their unwillingness to regulate hate speech.

DISCRIMINATION AT STORES COMMON

While CPG companies can play a key role in helping end racial discrimination, retailers have an even greater opportunity to be part of the solution, says Piaggio. According to Kantar’s annual surveys, African Americans consistently experience the most discrimination, with 35% of this year’s respondents (up from 30% in past years) reporting they were the victim of discrimination during the previous year. But when asked when or where they were discriminated against, 48% said while shopping, making retailers the No. 1 discriminator.

We’ve all heard “shopping while Black” stories like McGrew’s about being trailed around a store by employees – retail’s version of racial profiling – but consider that until two months ago, Walmart actually locked up multi-cultural hair and beauty products in a handful of stores. Beyond ending such degrading, discriminatory practices, says Piaggio, there’s more retailers can do to make the shopping experience better. “Understand that discrimination happens in your business and try to really do something about it. Think about what products are offered, how Black shoppers are treated and what the shopping experience is like for them.”

She adds that it’s not just the right thing to do. It’s good business. Not just Black people, but other minority groups as well are gaining both buying power and cultural influence. “So there are opportunities for company growth via inclusion,” says Piaggio. But again, “It can’t be just an advertising campaign. It needs to be a message followed by a commitment to achieving real goals.”

“Anything perceived as just lip service will ring hollow with consumers who care most,” agrees Shaw. “Very specific actions versus press releases and general statements have much more meaning.” Several large companies have pledged millions to organizations like the NAACP, African American Leadership Forum and Urban League to support their efforts to eradicate racial discrimination, while heavy hitters like Kroger and H-E-B are creating their own funds. Meanwhile, Walmart committed $100 million to create a new center on racial equity. But in many regards, it’s the more targeted, local efforts that really resonate with consumers.

For example, as part of a bigger commitment, Albertsons is giving $1 million to its African American Associate Resource Group to fund partnerships with local organizations that support communities in its market area. HyVee is committing a million volunteer hours to groups in the Midwest that support racial unity and equality. And Target is donating 10,000 hours of pro-bono consulting services for Black-owned businesses in the Twin Cities. A handful of retailers have even taken the “15 Percent Pledge,” vowing to give 15% of shelf space to products from Black-owned companies (Black people represent approximately 15% of the U.S. population).

Actions speak louder than words, continues Shaw, and there are a lot of other actions supermarkets in particular can take every day to demonstrate real concern for the Black community. Locating stores in inner-city “food deserts” gives the mostly Black population that lives there easy access to healthier foods; offering nutritious foods at reasonable prices helps democratize the better-for- you trend and allows lower-income Black people to participate; and no longer marketing certain unhealthy product categories to the people who need them the least can help save Black lives. “These are the most natural places where our industry can have an immediate impact,” says Shaw.

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