I don’t have to tell you that systemic racism is alive and well and in our country. But one of the ways it manifests is in the spending of federal dollars in media and advertising.
As much as President Biden has done to include people of color in his administration and to make sure his cabinet and the federal judiciary look like the American people they serve, there’s a lot more work to do – especially in how the federal government spends money through media and advertising firms.
But it’s not just about the media companies. It’s about the Black Americans who those companies employ. It’s about the prosperity that good-paying jobs can bring to Black communities and the hope that they can instill in Black children.
Especially with something as critical as public health information during a pandemic, the federal government needs to invest in reaching people of all communities wherever they are. Spending money at large, white-owned firms to target messages to Black Americans is not nearly as effective as investing in Black-owned firms who already have extensive reach within the communities they serve. When information is not being conveyed effectively, it hurts everyone, because we’re all in the same boat together.
Now that Democrats are in control of the federal government again, there’s a lot of talk about lifting up Black voices and empowering the Black community. Well, this is one way to do it.
– Hank Johnson (he/him)
PS: Click below to see my discussion with Roland Martin about the poor state of federal investment in Black-owned media companies.
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