One year ago, the agency determined that we needed to make a change. The murder of George Floyd and the uprising around race and equality in this country that followed opened our eyes to a number of realizations around diversity, equity and inclusion. The advertising industry has struggled in these areas, and we were no different. So, last July we came together as an agency to change our intentions and behaviors when it comes to agency processes, education and working with clients and vendors.
One year later, we’re continuing to make changes in how we work, learn and engage with the community. One of these changes includes observing Juneteenth as an agency holiday and raising funds to support a local Black organization. This year, we’ve chosen to support House of Rebirth, a Dallas-based transformative housing initiative and community safe space led by Black Trans Women to assist Black Trans Women affected by oppression. House of Rebirth was established in 2019 after the deaths of Muhlaysia Booker and Chynal Lindsey, two Black transgender women who were killed in Dallas less than a month apart. The organization serves as both a safe place to live and a resource center for transgender women in North Texas, providing information how to access health care, change their name and gender on identification documents and more. You can learn more about the House of Rebirth and how to support them by visiting their website or reading this recent Dallas Morning News article.
We’re also looking forward to upcoming conversations with Errika Flood-Moultrie, the Director of Operations & Strategy at Dallas Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation. Errika will be leading a series of learning events at the agency over the coming weeks and plans to cover off on a number of topics, including the history of race in Dallas and how we can serve as allies in our community.
