Diversity or Bust: 5 Things We Learned at ADCOLOR 2019!
The scoop from Adcolor: a consummate conference for Diversity & Inclusion in communications & creative industries.
Adcolor Founder & CEO Tiffany Warren with director M. Night Shyamalan during a powerful & fun fireside chat. Image courtesy of Adcolor.
We recently had the pleasure of attending Adcolor 2019 in Los Angeles, and it was amazing! If you are not familiar; Adcolor, is a community of diverse professionals who are here to support and celebrate one another.just know that they champions diversity and inclusion in creative industries.Founder & CEO Tiffany Warren and the Adcolor team, sure know how to put on a fabulously produced and impactful experience. From the first evening check-in and Fireside chat with director M. Night Shyamalan (The 6th Sense, et al), to the pertinent conversations in dynamic panels, full of deep dives into how we can be more diverse & inclusive ALL THE TIME and continue to push boundaries for equity in and out of workspaces; to the BBD concert with MC Lyte as the DJ; to the awards show honoring some of advertising and communications notable men & women… it was truly something to behold!
But besides having a blast in LA, and connecting with some of these game-changing folks, here’s what we learned:
Diversity and Inclusion are not
the same.
Photo: Adcolor
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION ARE NOT THE SAME THINGS: Often melded together and uttered as a trendy catchphrase in one breath, they are actually two separate concepts that need to work together and require real action behind them in order to work. Think of DIVERSITY inviting a bunch of different & unique people to the party, while INCLUSION is actually making sure they are served, seen, heard and included in the festivities whilst there!
WE HAVE TO DO THE WORK! It requires action to make change. Both on & offline, because IRL it is small actions everyday (by those making courageous choices & decisions), that moves the needle to actually create change, both in and out of the workplace. Specifically in places where there are marginalized or underrepresented groups.
EVERYONE NEEDS ALLIES. In order to have real impact, a constant collaborative effort is needed amongst those who have been historically disenfranchised & discriminated again and those who have not. Those in positions of privilege can aid the cause by going even further, to then become accomplices in helping to actually create the change by shifting the conversation & culture within the spaces in which marginalized groups are underserved.
CREATIVITY IS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE… but only if we are willing to get uncomfortable, take risks, challenge the status quo and try new things! Groundbreaking creative work (like the Colin Kaepernick NIKE campaign reprisal) that went beyond the issue of taking a knee to take a stand; and into the realm of rallying allies & community to form a movement, was brilliantly done via a deeply impactful campaign that included resonant cinematic overtures, strategic digital strategy, and real-life activations to really touch people and shift perspective.
ACTIVISM IS A DAILY CHOICE. Every day, we get to chose how we will impact society. In each moment we can intentionally make decisions with our words, action & work how we impact others. We get to #takeastand (this year’s theme for Adcolor), in each moment with the choices we make. Adcolor highlighted this notion by powerfully reminding us of our agency as individuals and also as a greater collective…. Beyond advertising, media & communications; and as people.
Adcolor filled us with even more motivation & inspiration to continue beautifully disrupting the status quo! Brava again to Tiffany Warren and the Adcolor team for a stellar experience. The Colored Girl salutes & supports you and will definitely be back next year.
Adcolor founder, Tiffany Warren celebreates a successful event with Keynote speaker, host & NY times best- selling author, Luvvie Ajayi