“There are even companies in this room today who would not acknowledge their history of lack of diversity. We’ve got a long way to go, and we’ve got a lot of ground to make up,” said John Girton Jr.
He was a part of over two dozen people representing different companies who filled a room inside the Indianapolis International Airport to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Girton is the vice president of marketing, communications, and external relations for Martin University. He’s been in marketing for the last 40 years and said he was the first African American leader for many organizations throughout his career.
Historically the marketing, communications and advertisement industries have done a lot to damage minority communities because of their lack of representation, according to Girton.
“A lot of companies will get these proposals to market to certain communities, all the while not using certain communities to be creative. It’s one thing to put people of color in front of the camera, but it’s another thing to have people of color controlling the narrative with the scripts and directing,” said Girton.
That was the reason for the event on Thursday morning. Indy’s American Marketing Association (AMA) wanted to hold a discussion on responsible marketing. Holli Harrington is the diversity officer for the Indianapolis Airport Authority and said the location was befitting for the event since the company sustains a diverse and inclusive workforce.
52% of their workforce are minority and women, and 30% of every dollar spent by travelers is on minority and veteran enterprises.
Harrington said it’s not enough to think about diversity as solely consisting of race and gender. Inclusion includes groups that are often not thought about.
“We have sensory rooms for people and parents of children who may be on the spectrum and need less stimulation in the airport,” said Harrington. “People contribute when they feel respected and valued.”
Even the executive director of the airport authority is Cuban American.
Not many minority leaders in similar roles are within the aviation field.
The main speaker for the AMA event was Karrah Herring, chief equity, inclusion, and opportunity officer (CEIOO) for Indiana appointed by Governor Eric Holcomb.
“I didn’t want my job. I don’t think anyone would choose to do this work in this climate. Unfortunately, my purpose isn’t always my preference,” said Herring to the room.
She said people often want to run away from diversity and equity, but it’s her duty to make sure that people understand on a deeper level the impact it has.
She said it’s imperative that people see that the work isn’t performative because of its importance.
As CEIOO, she said her office has accomplished numerous feats within the statehouse, like launching the Pathways to Purpose Interns program and the equity data portal 2.0 and giving quarterly reports for the Central Indiana Small Business Development Center.
A part of her external engagement is making sure diversity and inclusion are being considered around the state.
The office conducted a climate survey with 11,515 business participants, which make up 37% of the state workforce.
State scores from that survey showed that almost 60% of companies exhibited inclusive leadership and 76% had inclusive managers.
“You can have varying perspectives where everyone is valued and heard,” said Herring.
Her speech gave companies advice on how to be more authentic and engaging with their audiences.
Something Girton appreciated because of how he’s seen a lot of inauthentic entities operate.
“Not only is it great for us to have these kinds of conversations, but it’s important to remember the history that we have to now fix because we communicated narratives that were not inclusive,” said Girton.
He said diversity and inclusion aren’t a tagline for companies, it’s a tool.
Contact senior staff writer Jade Jackson at 317-607-5792. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.
