Lip Service

The novel coronavirus. National and state lockdowns. Black Lives Matter. Police protests. Corporate diversity (or more often, the lack thereof) landing in the spotlight. Suffice to say that 2020 has been through no shortage of major historic events so far, including a growing demand for brands to do more than offer lip service when it comes to their stance on some of the major issues confronting consumers today.

Lip Service

What's particularly powerful about Apple's initiative is that it doesn't just pay lip service (or the $100 million) toward the need for making a lasting change: The company followed up with a guide for parents and teachers who are helping students address complex issues surrounding race.

Brands need to go beyond token public statements to sharing what they're doing as a business to implement meaningful change. However, it's critical that any brand-shared statement or declaration of action be authentic. Not only is brand lip service something that consumers see right through these days, but also informed consumers are not hesitant to call out businesses for their past actions that do not align with their statements.

Gone is the day when maximizing shareholder profits was enough. And gone is the day when corporations can pay lip service to the rights of LGBTQ+ people while actively undermining them through their donations.

Although these rights have been internationally recognized for over 60 years, they are currently not guaranteed in the United States. Today, 46 million Americans have no health insurance. Over the past two years, 87 million lacked coverage at least temporarily, and an even greater number lack adequate insurance or access to the support and services they need if they become functionally limited. Even insured individuals worry that serious medical problems could lead to loss of coverage or unaffordable costs. This year we have a new opportunity to guarantee that all Americans have access to the care they need at a cost they can afford. Barriers in our healthcare system, such as high costs, lack of access, and inadequate quality of care have long prevented millions of Americans from obtaining the care they need. The current economic crisis makes it all the more urgent that we act now to remove these unacceptable barriers. By enacting the legislation essential to do so, we can fulfill an important commitment to the American people.

When in-person meetings and gatherings were still happening, there was a growing trend to include a land acknowledgment at the beginning. As part of reconciliation efforts with Indigenous Peoples (First Nation, Metis, and Inuit), groups would take the time to recognize the original stewards of the territory where the event is taking place. Sometimes this is just a few words spoken by the chairperson or emcee, or it could include inviting and gifting an Elder or knowledge keeper to offer an opening prayer and to smudge the space.So, how does offering a land acknowledgement move organizations and the broader public toward reconciliation? And, is this action more than just reconciliation lip service?

Land acknowledgements such as the one quoted above from Ottawa, and ones that are very similar to this parody skit, are those of reconciliation lip service. Fox encourages meeting organizers to go beyond a few obligatory opening remarks and find ways to inform attendees about the shared history on this land, like the examples Marshall and MacDonald share. He mentions that with open hearts and minds, every gathering of people, whether in-person or virtual, can create a moment of truth-telling that will strengthen the Canadian movement towards reconciliation with our harmful, colonial history, and toward a path of right relations with Indigenous Peoples. 041b061a72