Wanted to spend a minute revisiting the recent revelations involving New York City Councilman Larry Seabrook. The man who has been a key figure in the Madison Avenue diversity drama is suddenly generating headlines for lots of lousy reasons.
In April, The New York Times reported the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board and the Council’s Standards and Ethics Committee were investigating Seabrook’s role in helping his sister land a job with Omnicom’s diversity committee. This month, Seabrook is under the microscope for allegedly running shady rental schemes.
So far, the councilman is as quiet as, well, advertising executives ditching a special diversity hearing. Madison Avenue honchos are probably snickering behind closed doors, hatching plenty of chicken-ass-related jokes.
It just goes to the global problem of the industry’s diversity battles being waged by outsiders. After all, Seabrook’s supposed indiscretions only confirm the fact that he’s a stereotypical big city politician. Nepotism, cronyism and real estate scandals are common occurrences in Seabrook’s world.
Does it disqualify the accomplishments Seabrook has made to bring inclusiveness to the industry? Are the statements he uttered and the injustices he exposed any less valid? Should his apparent bad acts negate the deliberate inequities that have infested Madison Avenue for generations?
Hey, nobody has denied the charges against the industry. Au contraire, Dan Wieden admits things are “fucked up,” 4As President and CEO Nancy Hill acknowledges the “dearth of African Americans in middle and senior ranks,” and 4As members declare, “We suck at [diversity].” Nope, Seabrook remains credible and even supported on his Madison Avenue positions.
Would it be better to have a more upstanding citizen on the starting squad? Perhaps. But until the multicultural messiah arrives, we’re forced to back the head huckster.
this diversity issue is one big jumbled mess, you got tiffany warren, jo muse, larry seabrook, 4a's, diversity fairs, aaf, mosiac, adversity one club. All the minorities are running around with their heads cut off, with no clear direction on how to proceed. Its one big mess. Some are celebrating with adcolor award shows, some want to sue like cyrus myhri. The 4a's want to cover everything up like nothing has happened. The longer this drags out the long minorities will look like fools. theres no damn unity, everyone is doing their own damn thing and its not going anywhere. theyll be stuck in the diversity mudd for the next 10 + years. what a waste of time, they dont get it. The GM agencies do not want to hire qualified black candidates. end of story. lets stop beating around the bush.
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