Simon Tam

In the face of #BlackLivesMatter, a divided election cycle, and a more diverse audience of constituents than ever before, how do public employees engage with citizens in a manner that is just, equitable, and inclusive? Diversity and inclusion is often an afterthought, not on ongoing process in developing equity within organizations - especially in the world of marketing and communications. When “diversity” is seen as a separate area or something to be included into imagery rather than something that is embedded into all areas of the organization, the effort will never be successful. This workshop will examine successful – as well as unsuccessful attempts at creating a truly inclusive marketing practices that doesn’t isolate or tokenize diverse audiences. Case studies, personal stories, and examples of what to do/what not to do will be provided.

A powerful, inspirational story of how naming my band The Slants got me to the Supreme Court and the many lessons learned along the way.