Round 2: Bart Cleveland vs. Hadji Williams at adage.com’s Small Agency Diary…
Hadji,
I doubt anyone of consequence disagrees with your assessment that the industry needs improvement in the area of diversity. Your contention is that our problems are intentional, I contend they are not. My response about you looking to your book as a possible cause for your frustration was not intended as a backhanded shot. I know when I’ve had disappointments in my career I have found solutions looking to my own efforts. I can see that we don’t share that ailment, so ignore the advice and please don’t be offended by it. I agree with you that the industry can and should improve and would be better for it. I don’t agree with your opinion of why it is where it is. Let’s leave it at that. I hope you will not have to wait until the day you die to see an improvement. Best of luck to you. —Bart Cleveland, Albuquerque, NM
Let’s clarify a couple things to wrap this up:
I don’t need a hug. I don’t need a job. I don’t need attention. Our industry is comprised of people who refuse to accept that the vast majority of its problems—collective myopia, shortage of innovative ideas, shrinking talent pools, adaptation to change, understanding of consumers—are tied almost inextricably to homogenized hiring practices and arrogant attitudes towards ethnic professionals, consumers, and agencies/vendors and media outlets serving communities of color. Period. Whether or not the ad/marketing and pr industries change will not be about me, but rather it’ll be about their desire to look in the mirror and do some self-improvement of their own before it’s too late. —Hadji Williams, Chicago, IL
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