DIVERSITY IN LEADERSHIP NOW NEEDED MORE THAN EVER

By Ohema Ababio

We are not strangers to CEO scandals such as CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman resigned in early June of 2020 after his comments on the death of George Floyd, including a statement that he was “not mourning” and refers to George Floyd’s death as “FLOYD-19”, a clear reference to Covid-19. Not only did this spark fury and anger, but we begin to question whether our investments in these large businesses are worth it. Of course, it is nearly impossible to do a background check on every single CEO. However, seeing corporate brands creating ignorant messages (whether publicly like Greg Glassman or secretly like Chris Kempczinski) only makes us question if companies like McDonalds and CrossFit have a place in today’s society.

An alternative? It’s as simple as supporting small local businesses. This not only creates more jobs and eventually a stronger economy, but investments in the local community will add that certain uniqueness sought after by tourists and visitors. Giving your money to small businesses is merely an alternative and not a solution as covert racism is rife within big name brands and can easily be suppressed by posting a black square on Instagram with the hashtag “BlackoutTuesday” or by making TikToks with a fist raised to Same Love by Macklemore.