A year after the death of George Floyd, advocates look to the future

The harrowing death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, at the hands of the police and captured in raw detail on video, sparked worldwide protests.

There were marches in major cities across the U.S., and in foreign metropolises like London. Protestors gathered outside U.S. embassies in China and South Africa. They took to the streets in Norway and Austria, Canada and Brazil.

In the global business community, many organizations took a closer look at how racism and structural inequality were influencing business decisions, hiring and job equality. Leaders committed to more diversity in hiring and promotions, and investments in Black-owned suppliers and businesses. There were new levels of participation in DE&I committees and employee resource groups. Leaders said they wanted to have “tough conversations.”

A year has passed. What has changed in our conversations about inequality and racial injustice, and what has stayed the same?

Moving beyond representation

Representation matters—being able to see yourself in an organization, in a position of leadership, in company ads and marketing materials is so important. However, that’s not where DE&I efforts stop.