A few closing thoughts on Black History Month 2025 in Adland…
Brands, White holding companies, and White advertising agencies decreased BHM-related public acknowledgments, performative PR, and heat shields versus recent previous years.
It’s not clear if the decrease resulted from political pressure—or if enterprises simply took advantage of the social climate to excuse a lack of engagement.
It’s unlikely Adland completely abandoned the annual event. Rather, the “celebrations” became internal affairs, delegated to ERGs, CDOs, and resident representatives for the underrepresented—optional lunch-and-learns that staffers declined, talent exhibitions that received polite applause, and/or templated companywide emails that were unopened or immediately trashed. In these anti-DEIBA+ times, internal equals indifferent at best, and disinterested at least—with a growing legion of not-so-silent hostile resistors.
Will International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month be equally ignored? Unlikely, as White women still receive priority and privileged status on the DEIBA+ org chart.
As for BHM in Adland, it’s time to put twists on the popular clichés associated with the annual event:
It’s not just Black history, it’s, well, history.
Black History. Now ignored during February—and all year long.
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