Workplaces Responding to the Black Lives Matter Movement

& the George Floyd Protests

Camille D. Tilghman
Senior Hiring Specialist
Jaded Marketing

Prepared for
Gabriella Mopon
Vice President, Human Resources
 JADED MARKETING
300 W 114th St • New York, New York 10026
(212) 659-0347 • www.facebook.com/jadedmarketing
www.jadedmarketing.com

July 29, 2020

Gabriella Mopon
Vice President, Human Resources
Jaded Marketing

Dear Vice President Mopon:

I am happy to present to you the following report, Workplaces Responding to the Black Lives
Matter Movement & the George Floyd Protest, which you requested. My report provides
recommendations for responding to the Black Lives Matter Movement and the benefits and
drawbacks your company can encounter.

I recommend Jaded Marketing should release an official statement to the public and your
employees on all platforms (website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). Jaded Marketing should
honor Juneteenth, or June 19th, to their customers and employees through discounts on services
and closing the office early. Additionally, I recommend pledging grants and creating partnerships
with the Black Lives Matter movement or any civil rights organization(s); and provide training
and/or mentorship programs on professional development and advancement. Jaded Marketing
must be actively engaged with this political movement. Due to the findings in the report, I
believe these recommendations will reflect Jaded Marketing’s mission statement and
commitment to consumers as being socially relevant while maintaining their honorable
reputation.

With this enclosed report, I hope it will aid in building and creating a supportive environment for
your employees and clientele. It was an honor to write this report and provide my input. If you
have any questions or would like to discuss our recommendations, please call or email me at
ctilghman@jadedmarketing.com. I look forward to your input.

Sincerely Yours,

Camille Tilghman
Senior Hiring Specialist

Encl. Report
 Table of Contents
List of Illustrations..................................................................................................................4
Abstract...................................................................................................................................5
Background.......................................................................................................................................6
Purpose.............................................................................................................................................6
Scope.................................................................................................................................................6
Discussion...............................................................................................................................7
Corporate America’s Response to the Black Lives Matter Movement & George Floyd Protests...7
The Companies Promising to Fight Systemic Racism...........................................................................................7
The Black Community and American’s Response to Corporate America......................................8
The Benefits and Positive Feedback Companies Have Received..........................................................................8
The Drawbacks and Negative Feedback Companies Have Received...................................................................8

Conclusion..............................................................................................................................9
Recommendations...................................................................................................................9
References.............................................................................................................................10
 List of Illustrations
Figure 1 Percentage Who Favor Statements from Business Leaders on Issues of Racial
Justice.......................................................................................................................... 8
Figure 2 Citigroup’s Donations to House Representatives Rated “F” by the NAACP.............. 9
 Abstract
This report investigates how businesses such as Nike, Estée Lauder, Andreessen Horowitz, and
PayPal have responded to the Black Lives Matter movement and protests regarding the death of
George Floyd. George Floyd’s death impacted millions of social media users who viewed the
video, which sparked a series of demonstrations – influenced by rage, hope, fear, and anguish –
across America. As other U.S. organizations have done, Jaded marketing must release an official
statement, acknowledge Juneteenth as a holiday, provide programs for professional advancement
to increase diversity, and pledge grants and partner with the Black Lives Matter movement or
any other civil rights movement(s) fighting against police brutality and anti-Black racism. Jaded
Marketing must inform their employees of their stance on the Black Lives Matter Movement and
the demonstrations speaking out against George Floyd’s death. Additionally, this report will
present the benefits and disadvantages companies have received after responding. Equally
important too, Jaded Marketing must ensure its customers and employees that we fully support
and stand with the Black community on their fight against police brutality and systemic racism.
 Introduction
Background
Four years ago, in 2013, three Black female organizers: Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors,
and Opal Tometi created a Black-centered political project movement called #BlackLivesMatter.
Black Lives Matter (2020) started as a call to action to state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black
racism. It was a response to the death of Trayvon Martin and the acquittal of his killer, George
Zimmerman, and inspired by the 31-day takeover of the Florida State Capitol by POWER U. The
movement’s purpose is to build local power and intervene whenever violence is inflicted on
Black communities by the state, white supremacists, and vigilantes. One year after the death of
Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown was murdered, and American citizens marched with the founders
to Ferguson – this march later became known as the Black Lives Matter Freedom Ride (Black
Lives Matter, 2020, para. 1-4). What initially started as a hashtag on social media quickly
became a global movement that appealed to every African American who wanted justice for the
lives lost due to police brutality and anti-Black racism.

On May 25th, George Floyd was murdered by Officer Derek Chavin who knelt on Floyd’s
neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. The three other police officers who were at the scene and
didn’t interfere became accessories to the murder. Bystanders recorded George Floyd’s murder
and uploaded the video on social media (Hill et al., 2020). Within a few minutes, the video went
viral and affected the hearts of millions worldwide. Following the murder of George Floyd, the
Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement gained more supporters and grew at an alarming rate both
globally and domestically – protests for racial justice were occurring worldwide. Colin and
Quealy (2020) recorded that within two weeks, the majority of American voters who supported
the movement increased by a 28-point margin. Four polls have suggested that about 15 to 26
million people in the United States have participated over George Floyd’s death. With more than
4,700 demonstrations, across the United States, or an average of 140 per day, these numbers
would make the Black Lives Matter Movement the largest movement in American history
(Buchanan, Bui, & Patel, 2020). Two months have passed, and Americans are still actively
posting about the BLM Movement and justice for Breonna Taylor, another victim of police
violence, on social media platforms.

Purpose
The purpose of this report is to research how workplaces have or are responding to the
Black Lives Matter Movement and the protests sparked after the murder of George Floyd. This
report will address the benefits and drawbacks companies have received after responding. This
report lists recommendations Jaded Marketing should consider implementing regarding this
matter.

Scope
This report explores the benefits and disadvantages of Jaded Marketing will experience
after responding to the BLM movement and George Floyd’s death. The report will suggest ways
for Jaded Marketing to meet the needs of the Black community. Jaded Marketing must commit to
our customers and workforce by supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement and the George
Floyd protests. By doing this, we are creating a supportive environment for the Black
communities and our employees and customers.
 Discussion
Corporate America’s Response to the Black Lives Matter Movement & George Floyd
Protests
The Companies Promising to Fight Systemic Racism
Nike, Estée Lauder, Andreessen Horowitz, and PayPal are four out of multiple companies
that have responded to George Floyd protests and the BLM movement by implementing new
practices within their organization. On June 5th, Nike’s CEO, John Donahoe, released a formal
statement on their website which stated:
Systemic racism and the events that have unfolded across America over the past few
weeks serve as an urgent reminder of the continued change needed in our society. We
know Black Lives Matter. We must educate ourselves more deeply on the issues faced by
Black communities and understand the enormous suffering and senseless tragedy racial
bigotry creates. We will continue our focus on being more representative of our
consumers while doing our part in the communities we serve (Nike, 2020, para. 2).
Nike supported this powerful statement by committing over $40 million to support the Black
communities through investments and support for organizations focused on social justice,
education, and economic empowerment. Nike (2020) then partnered and individually granted a
million dollars to Black Girls CODE, the NAACP Empowerment Programs, and the NAACP
Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (para. 2) Furthermore, Nike (2020) created the Nike
Impact Report, an annual public report that shows the company’s progress, and recognized
Juneteenth as an official paid holiday for their employees. Nike’s response showed the public
they are not only committing but also taking direct action towards this cause – eliminating
systemic racism within society.

Estée Lauder, like Nike, released a public formal statement addressing the issues
grappling the Black community and their stance on racial inequality. Estée Lauder has pledged to
stand with their Black employees, consumers, and the community as allies. CEO Fabrizio Freda
and Executive Chairman William Lauder (2020) have specific commitments towards listening
and learning, talent and opportunity, representation, suppliers, and investing in change which
will be implemented across America. Freda and Lauder (2020) have vowed to foster an internal
environment of cultural advocacy and inclusion, provide equitable access to professional
development and advancement through leadership and mentorship programs, and double their
recruit numbers from HBCUs and other top diverse universities. They will increase their pool of
Black talent on and off-the-camera, deliver make-up products to meet the needs and diverse
shades of the community, support and source their supplies from Black-owned businesses and
donate $10 million to civil rights organizations.

Andreessen Horowitz (2020), or a16x, is a venture capital firm that donated $2.2 million
to launch their Talent x Opportunity Fund (TxO), a 10-month training program designed to
invest entrepreneurs from underrepresented and/or underdeveloped communities. This project is
led by Nait Jones, an African American partner at a16x, who plans to provide potential
entrepreneurs with the resources to build and transform their business ideas into successful
businesses. According to Friedman (2020), PayPal has created a $500 million fund to invest and
support black and minority-owned businesses and start-ups through community banks. An
additional $10 million was provided to black-owned businesses affected by COVID-19.
The Black Community and American’s Response to Corporate America
The Benefits and Positive Feedback Companies Have Received
Many companies, especially the ones named above, received positive feedback from
Americans and the Black community. A survey conducted by Just Capital & The Harris Poll
(2020) showed 84% of Americans preferred businesses who made public statements about
ending police violence and promoted Americans’ right to peaceful protest. After George Floyd’s
death, The Harris Poll and Just Capital (2020) asked Americans “how much do you favor or
oppose CEOs and other high-profile business leaders making public statements on issues such
as…” Figure 1 below indicates the percentage of Americans who favored statements from
business leaders on issues of racial justice. These statements showed Americans in which
businesses were active corporate citizens. A poll from Just Capital (2020) found that the
companies which took action to show support saw Americans purchasing more of their products
or services (75%), mentioned the company in social (or other) media (64%), and/or invested in
the company (44%).
Figure 1
Percentage Who Favor Statements from Business Leaders
on Issues of Racial Injustice

Source: Just Capital & The Harris Poll. (2020). The American Public Wants Companies to Take Action on
Advancing Racial Equity – Especially Black Americans Retrieved from https://justcapital.com/news/the-
american-public-wants-companies-to-take-action-on-advancing-racial-equity-especially-black-americans /

The Drawbacks and Negative Feedback Companies Have Received

The Black Community and civil rights organizations conducted research to ensure these
companies implemented changes in their workforce. If companies released a statement via social
media, but their actions contradicted their support, then the Black community and civil rights
organizations, like the NAACP, exposed these companies. Nike faced workplace scrutiny after
the Black community discovered 77% of its high-ranking vice presidents are predominately
White (CBS News 2020). According to Elitou (2020), Sharon Chuter, CEO of UOMA Beauty,
launched the #PullUpOrShutUp campaign which challenged companies to reveal the racial
makeup of their workforce. This campaign held companies accountable for the lack of diverse
representation within upper-level positions. In Figure 2, NAACP uncovered that Citibank, or
Citigroup, donated $180,000 to 53 House Representatives whom the NAACP rated “F” – this
rating derived from their “Legislative Report Card”, a report presenting the key civil rights votes
that congress, house representatives, and senators repealed or voted against.
 Figure 2
Citigroup’s Donations to House Representatives
Rated “F” by the NAACP

Source: Legum, J. (2020) Corporations tweet support for Black Lives Matter. Their FEC filings tell a different
story. Retrieved from https://popular.info/p/corporations-tweet-support-for-black?
r=1924c&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&utm_source=linkedin

Conclusion
To respond effectively, Jaded Marketing must emphasize their support for the Black
community and implement changes throughout the workplace. A survey from Just Capital (2020)
revealed 59% of Americans believe companies have a social responsibility to take a stand.
Therefore, Jaded Marketing must be a corporate citizen and vocalize their unity for the Black
community verbally and actively. Nielsen’s report (2019) showed African Americans having the
strongest buyer power at $47.8 million. If Jaded Marketing remains silent or doesn’t implement
changes, they risk losing their Black consumers. Implementing these recommendations can help
Jaded Marketing maintain and increase their clientele, keep their strong reputation, and stay
socially relevant.

Recommendations
By implementing these recommendations, based on the conclusion within this report,
Jaded Marketing will succeed in responding effectively to the George Floyd protests and the
Black Lives Matter movement while creating a supportive environment for their Black
employees and consumers.
1. Release a public statement via social media and the company website addressing the
issues of racial injustice and police violence.
2. Partner, donate, and work closely with civil rights organizations focusing on systemic
racism, racial injustice, and police brutality.
3. Acknowledge Juneteenth as a holiday by closing the office early and provide discounts to
consumers on products and services.
4. Provide leadership and mentorship programs for professional development and
advancement, thus increasing diversity and representation within the workforce.
 References
Adesina, F., & Mizell, J. (2020, June 9). The American Public Wants Companies to Take Action
on Advancing Racial Equity – Especially Black Americans. JUST Capital.
https://justcapital.com/news/the-american-public-wants-companies-to-take-action-on-
advancing-racial-equity-especially-black-americans/

Andreessen Horowitz. (2020, June 3). Introducing the Talent x Opportunity Fund.

https://a16z.com/2020/06/03/talent-x-opportunity/

Black Lives Matter. (2020). What We Believe. https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/

Buchanan, L. (2020, July 8). Black Lives Matter May Be the Largest Movement in U.S. History.
New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/03/us/george-floyd-
protests-crowd-size.html

CBS News. (2020, June 11). Companies touting Black Lives Matter face own workforce scrutiny.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/companies-black-lives-matter-workforce-scrutiny-
amazon-microsoft-nike-adidas/

Elitou, T. (2020, June 18). Beauty Founder Sharon Chuter Established The #PullUpOrShutUp
Movement to Rebuild The Black Middle-Class With High Paying Jobs. BET.
https://www.bet.com/style/living/2020/06/18/sharon-chuter-talks-pull-up-or-shut-up-in-
bet-interview.html

Feloni, R., & George, Y. (2020, June 30). These Are Notable Corporate Responses to George
Floyd Protests. JUST Capital. https://justcapital.com/news/notable-corporate-responses-
to-the-george-floyd-protests/

Hill, E., Tiefenthäler, A., Triebert, C., Jordan, D., Willis, H., & Stein, R. (2020, May 31). 8
Minutes and 46 Seconds. The New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/george-floyd-investigation.html

JUST Capital. (2020). Polling the American People. https://justcapital.com/polling/

Lauder, W. P., & Fader, F. (2020, June 10). The Estée Lauder Companies Commits to Racial
Equity. Estée Lauder Companies. https://www.elcompanies.com/en/news-and-
media/newsroom/company-features/2020/elc-commits-to-racial-equity\

Nielsen. (2019, September 12). African american spending path demands marketers show more
love, support of culture. https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/press-releases/2019/african-
american-spending-power-demands-that-marketers-show-more-love-and-support-for-
black-culture/

Nike. (2020, June 5). NIKE, Inc. Statement on Commitment to Black Community. Nike News.
https://news.nike.com/news/nike-commitment-to-black-community
Nike. (2020, July 29). NIKE, Inc. Announces Initial Partners for $40 Million, Four-Year
Commitment to Fight Systemic Racism. Nike News. https://news.nike.com/news/nike-
inc-announces-initial-partners-for-40-million-four-year-commitment-to-fight-systemic-
racism