Episode #21: Communications During Racial Unrest, Comparing Convention Speeches, Hair Discrimination, and NBA Players Take a Stand

Talking Shop Podcast

What a week! Another senseless killing of a black man in America by law enforcement, an historic boycott by NBA players, more violent protests in U.S. cities, and the 2020 Republican National Convention thrown in too. We get through all of it, looking for PR wins and tough lessons, particularly for companies looking to find the right words to communicate to their employees, the community, and their customers.

Then Ewan dives into hairstyles, and why a growing number of U.S. states and Canadian provinces have already made clear that employers can't discriminate based on hairstyle. He explains what this means for both employers and employees.

Plus: why the NHL was a day late from their NBA counterparts in boycotting games, E. Jean Carrol's remarkable story and new series with The Atlantic, and even a reminder to be on the lookout for colorectal cancer in light of the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman.

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Show Notes and Links

• RNC 2020: Kimberly Guilfoyle's speech makes waves on social media - New York Post
• Virgina's new law against hair discrimination and how we got here - Forbes
• The Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism - Osler (PDF)
• A black AGO worker was told her hair could 'scare' customers. The gallery agreed that was discrimination and promised to do better. A year later, she's still fighting for justice - The Star
• How leaders should address racially charged events - and what to avoid - according to a crisis PR expert - Business Insider
• Chris Webber gets emotional addressing NBA player protests: 'It's the young people leading the way, and I applaud them' - Mediaite

Check This Out

• Colorectal cancer statistics 2020 - The American Cancer Society
• Hideous Men: Donald Trump assaulted me in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room 23 years ago. But he's not along on the list of awful men in my life - New York Magazine
• 'I moved on her very heavily': Part 1 - The Atlantic

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also writes his own blog.