Black History Month has raised awareness about the history of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour in Canada.

And what we learned last spring is that this focus on understanding the history, contributions and challenges of these groups cannot end when the calendar flips over. 

In June 2020, the entire EA team committed to:

1. Ensure no tolerance for racism in our company 
2. Educate ourselves and our children
3. Establish a Racial Justice Study Circle
4. Engage with the local Black communities where we live and work
5. Support data for good 

How we measure up to our commitment so far: 

• Our Racial Justice Circle was formed and meets monthly with over 25 team members participating. The format varies – we have shared thought leadership, reviewed books and plays and identified key resources to share with friends, our children and families.

• While gatherings and in-person volunteering have been challenged by the pandemic, we directed our holiday charity contribution to Nellie's Shelter & Support for Women and Children in lieu of sending our traditional gifts to our customers.

• We launched an internship program and other hiring and promotion policies with specific goals on improving diversity and inclusion throughout our teams.

Many efforts are going on in the data world to address data gaps on Black and Indigenous populations. The Canadian Statistics Advisory Council (CSAC) made addressing this a major recommendation. Jan Kestle, President and CEO of Environics Analytics is a CSAC member and plays a key role in identifying the need for measurement as a factor in moving social change forward. If you don't measure it, it is much less likely to change.

Other organizations in which we participate — the Canadian Marketing Association, the Council of Canadian Innovators, CivicAction and the Ted Rogers School Dean’s Advisory Board — are raising the issue of how businesses can become part of the change we need and how we can move to a more data-driven approach. What should be measured, how survey questions should be worded and how these data should be used requires input and oversight from the communities themselves, and new processes must be implemented to guide researchers.

Embracing anti-racism and diversity in our company

We are looking closely at our own data products – identifying gaps and working to fill them. We are reviewing our PRIZM^® personas to ensure that they continue to capture the rich diversity of Canada but in a way that is not or cannot be perceived as racist or discriminatory. To do this, we are consulting with academic and community thought leaders in this process.

Embracing this heightened focus on anti-racism and diversity in our company brings more talent to our work and is the right thing to do. It makes all of our lives better.

Let’s start March with a new commitment to understanding, respecting and strengthening the Black and Indigenous communities of Canada, their history, and improving our future together, all year round.

Let’s be the change we want to see.

Read our full statement on anti-Black racism, here.

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