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008 Race and Ethnicity Equity in the PR Industry with Barbara Philips
SHOWNOTES
My guest on the 8th episode of the #TheElephantintheRoom podcast is Barbara Phillips, Chair of the Race and Ethnicity Board(REEB). REEB was set up last year by the PRCA in response to Black Lives Matter(BLM) to address issues of racial inequality within our Industry. Her ambition is to ensure that black, asian and ethnic minority talent in the industry are able to flourish and thrive in their career. She is razor focused on REEB Terms of Reference having already delivered guidelines on the Ethnicity Pay Gap, and is working through the ‘to do’ list with military precision - aiming for maximum impact. BLM brought the ‘R’ word into our living rooms and back into the boardroom. Barbara is determined to keep it on the table for as long as it takes to achieve equity and equality.
In this episode we speak about her love for English language and writing, her role as the Chair of REEB and the priorities for REEB👇🏾
👉🏾 The Ethnicity Pay Gap Report
👉🏾 The barriers to entry for people of colour in the industry
👉🏾 Visibility, representation and fixing the talent pipe line
👉🏾 The role of legislation and targets in achieving racial equality
👉🏾 Her views on BAME as a category
Highlights from the conversation
👉🏾 I refuse to just count out for the sake of it. Don't get me wrong, we're all brought up especially of a certain age, heavily on the manners and politeness and having respect for older people and authority. That's all lovely, but I'm not just going to do that. You have to earn it. I'm not just gonna let you trample on me because you're my line manager doesn't make you any better than me. With our upbringing, it's interesting because I only can say that now. At the time it was just everyone's the same go out and do what you need to do. But remember, everybody's the same. And that's literally all the advice I got. And that's pretty much I think, all you need to know, though. Irrespective what anyone says to you don't have to believe it. If somebody puts that label on you, you don't have to accept it. And I think there's a whole generation and maybe generations now that feel they have to accept it. And I think for my generation, I was one of the few people that didn't feel I had to accept it.
👉🏾 It's only ever gonna be a race. You know, I think it's not only race, because we've got past race, because we've said the R word. I think right now what we're experiencing is the people who subscribe to it. And in the US elections 74 million people voted for Donald Trump. They've had four years to see what he's about. And they still think, yep, that works for me. Let me tick his name. So I think The Elephant In The Room right now is the fact that people like race, they subscribe to all the white supremacy, it works for them. It's a status quo. And there are people probably secretly, who are quite happy to keep it going. I think that's The Elephant In The Room.
👉🏾 We wrote those terms of reference so everyone in REEB, we all joined together, and I love the way it's all kind of open. That's the way I like to be in an organisation and a group that everyone's voice is valid. My priority is working my way through that list. So I'm going to be pushing to make sure everything on my list is executed and done and delivered. And I think my biggest strength is that I don't need to be popular. I have no interest in being popular. Respect is great. You don't have to like me, because that's not what I'm here for.
👉🏾 My priority is working through that list and, and letting people on the board of the PRCA specifically, letting them know that I see them. I see the ones who are silent. I see the ones who have said nothing, but haven't said anything against us. But they haven't supported us either. This is not like diversity and inclusion where there's a broad range of things and you can kind of pick what you want to support.
👉🏾 The agencies, they need to stop being performative. if you're an agency now and it's all white, that's fine. Because you can still be an ally, you can still be supportive, and you can still have a non-toxic culture. But really, if you're in a London, there is no excuse for not having a diverse workforce because London is like the most diverse city in the UK, one of the most diverse in Europe. And this is what I've said forever, need to look at their culture. Because, you know, I don't want young people of colour to go into any more of those organisations that are so toxic and that damages them. And either they can't stay in communications, or they won't go back to another agency, or go and do something else entirely, because it's so damaging. So I think they need to look at their culture. And don't tell me agencies that you don't know what good culture looks like, don't tell me that you don't know, what is inclusive culture. Look, there's enough material out there, the leaders know, so they just haven't chosen to do it. So I think they need to make their agencies and environment more inclusive, more inviting, make it psychologically safe for everyone. And the talent will come.
👉🏾 I think it's different this time, because we have a lot more white people saying, this is not acceptable. I mean, black people and Asian people and everybody has been saying it's not acceptable forever. But but there weren't enough of them either in power, or influential enough. What's different this time than any other time is that 1) It's global, and 2) there are enough numbers of people who aren't black and asian who want ethnic diversity. And then if you marry that, with what's physically happening in populations of the world, this is what organisations and big agencies and big firms are realising now, when they look to their five year projections, who's going to be available for talent who are going to be their customers, they're not going to be all white. And if they don’t make a pivot right now. They don't have anyone to sell to and there'll be no one to work in their organisations. And I think that's only a realisation this year.
👉🏾 I've said torch BAME and that's been my position forever, just torch the whole thing and go back to identifying people as they are. I think what probably needs to happen because when we were working with our ethnicity pay gap expert, we looked at specifications a lot of them do come from the government. And I think it's time the government did another survey and another classification of how people identify because I think it's a lot more complex. And I think you should finally say, because if you use BAME that means but we can't talk about asian community on its own, It offends me because it oversimplifies. Because all BAME says is ‘other’. White is the centre of the universe. And everything else is just, you know, revolving around it. And it's other. So I think that even if it takes you three seconds more to write out the word black and asian, I think you need to write it out because we're talking about different experiences.
👉🏾 I think, going back to my childhood on this, you know everybody's equal. And I hate it when people aren't treated fairly. That's from an old person in the street that somebody I don't know, you know, I just can't bear it. Its in my in my blood I can't bear, it's probably why I am a magistrate I can't bear people being treated unfairly based on nothing more than, either someone's prejudice, or someone's stereotyping. It just doesn't sit well with me if there's evidence, and it's clear evidence, fine. That’s a different story. What drives me is that we can, as human beings we can just do so much better. You know, I'm not saying feed the world Kumbaya, world peace. I'm just saying we can do so much better and each as an individual in your environment, you know, there's something you can do every day, to make someone's environment, not necessarily yours, someone's environment a little bit better.
Follow Barbara on
https://twitter.com/barphi1
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-phillips-mprca-73b1333/
Important links
https://ethicalmarketingnews.com/prca-reeb-publishes-new-ethnicity-pay-gap-guide
https://www.prweek.com/article/1690107/prca-launches-race-ethnicity-equity-board-makes-diversity-pledge
https://www.vuelio.com/uk/blog/spotlight-on-barbara-phillips-chair-for-the-prca-race-and-ethnicity-equity-board/
https://womeninpr.org.uk/bhm-barbara-phillips/
View all episodes
By Sudha Singh
5
22 ratings
SHOWNOTES
My guest on the 8th episode of the #TheElephantintheRoom podcast is Barbara Phillips, Chair of the Race and Ethnicity Board(REEB). REEB was set up last year by the PRCA in response to Black Lives Matter(BLM) to address issues of racial inequality within our Industry. Her ambition is to ensure that black, asian and ethnic minority talent in the industry are able to flourish and thrive in their career. She is razor focused on REEB Terms of Reference having already delivered guidelines on the Ethnicity Pay Gap, and is working through the ‘to do’ list with military precision - aiming for maximum impact. BLM brought the ‘R’ word into our living rooms and back into the boardroom. Barbara is determined to keep it on the table for as long as it takes to achieve equity and equality.
In this episode we speak about her love for English language and writing, her role as the Chair of REEB and the priorities for REEB👇🏾
👉🏾 The Ethnicity Pay Gap Report
👉🏾 The barriers to entry for people of colour in the industry
👉🏾 Visibility, representation and fixing the talent pipe line
👉🏾 The role of legislation and targets in achieving racial equality
👉🏾 Her views on BAME as a category
Highlights from the conversation
👉🏾 I refuse to just count out for the sake of it. Don't get me wrong, we're all brought up especially of a certain age, heavily on the manners and politeness and having respect for older people and authority. That's all lovely, but I'm not just going to do that. You have to earn it. I'm not just gonna let you trample on me because you're my line manager doesn't make you any better than me. With our upbringing, it's interesting because I only can say that now. At the time it was just everyone's the same go out and do what you need to do. But remember, everybody's the same. And that's literally all the advice I got. And that's pretty much I think, all you need to know, though. Irrespective what anyone says to you don't have to believe it. If somebody puts that label on you, you don't have to accept it. And I think there's a whole generation and maybe generations now that feel they have to accept it. And I think for my generation, I was one of the few people that didn't feel I had to accept it.
👉🏾 It's only ever gonna be a race. You know, I think it's not only race, because we've got past race, because we've said the R word. I think right now what we're experiencing is the people who subscribe to it. And in the US elections 74 million people voted for Donald Trump. They've had four years to see what he's about. And they still think, yep, that works for me. Let me tick his name. So I think The Elephant In The Room right now is the fact that people like race, they subscribe to all the white supremacy, it works for them. It's a status quo. And there are people probably secretly, who are quite happy to keep it going. I think that's The Elephant In The Room.
👉🏾 We wrote those terms of reference so everyone in REEB, we all joined together, and I love the way it's all kind of open. That's the way I like to be in an organisation and a group that everyone's voice is valid. My priority is working my way through that list. So I'm going to be pushing to make sure everything on my list is executed and done and delivered. And I think my biggest strength is that I don't need to be popular. I have no interest in being popular. Respect is great. You don't have to like me, because that's not what I'm here for.
👉🏾 My priority is working through that list and, and letting people on the board of the PRCA specifically, letting them know that I see them. I see the ones who are silent. I see the ones who have said nothing, but haven't said anything against us. But they haven't supported us either. This is not like diversity and inclusion where there's a broad range of things and you can kind of pick what you want to support.
👉🏾 The agencies, they need to stop being performative. if you're an agency now and it's all white, that's fine. Because you can still be an ally, you can still be supportive, and you can still have a non-toxic culture. But really, if you're in a London, there is no excuse for not having a diverse workforce because London is like the most diverse city in the UK, one of the most diverse in Europe. And this is what I've said forever, need to look at their culture. Because, you know, I don't want young people of colour to go into any more of those organisations that are so toxic and that damages them. And either they can't stay in communications, or they won't go back to another agency, or go and do something else entirely, because it's so damaging. So I think they need to look at their culture. And don't tell me agencies that you don't know what good culture looks like, don't tell me that you don't know, what is inclusive culture. Look, there's enough material out there, the leaders know, so they just haven't chosen to do it. So I think they need to make their agencies and environment more inclusive, more inviting, make it psychologically safe for everyone. And the talent will come.
👉🏾 I think it's different this time, because we have a lot more white people saying, this is not acceptable. I mean, black people and Asian people and everybody has been saying it's not acceptable forever. But but there weren't enough of them either in power, or influential enough. What's different this time than any other time is that 1) It's global, and 2) there are enough numbers of people who aren't black and asian who want ethnic diversity. And then if you marry that, with what's physically happening in populations of the world, this is what organisations and big agencies and big firms are realising now, when they look to their five year projections, who's going to be available for talent who are going to be their customers, they're not going to be all white. And if they don’t make a pivot right now. They don't have anyone to sell to and there'll be no one to work in their organisations. And I think that's only a realisation this year.
👉🏾 I've said torch BAME and that's been my position forever, just torch the whole thing and go back to identifying people as they are. I think what probably needs to happen because when we were working with our ethnicity pay gap expert, we looked at specifications a lot of them do come from the government. And I think it's time the government did another survey and another classification of how people identify because I think it's a lot more complex. And I think you should finally say, because if you use BAME that means but we can't talk about asian community on its own, It offends me because it oversimplifies. Because all BAME says is ‘other’. White is the centre of the universe. And everything else is just, you know, revolving around it. And it's other. So I think that even if it takes you three seconds more to write out the word black and asian, I think you need to write it out because we're talking about different experiences.
👉🏾 I think, going back to my childhood on this, you know everybody's equal. And I hate it when people aren't treated fairly. That's from an old person in the street that somebody I don't know, you know, I just can't bear it. Its in my in my blood I can't bear, it's probably why I am a magistrate I can't bear people being treated unfairly based on nothing more than, either someone's prejudice, or someone's stereotyping. It just doesn't sit well with me if there's evidence, and it's clear evidence, fine. That’s a different story. What drives me is that we can, as human beings we can just do so much better. You know, I'm not saying feed the world Kumbaya, world peace. I'm just saying we can do so much better and each as an individual in your environment, you know, there's something you can do every day, to make someone's environment, not necessarily yours, someone's environment a little bit better.
Follow Barbara on
https://twitter.com/barphi1
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-phillips-mprca-73b1333/
Important links
https://ethicalmarketingnews.com/prca-reeb-publishes-new-ethnicity-pay-gap-guide
https://www.prweek.com/article/1690107/prca-launches-race-ethnicity-equity-board-makes-diversity-pledge
https://www.vuelio.com/uk/blog/spotlight-on-barbara-phillips-chair-for-the-prca-race-and-ethnicity-equity-board/
https://womeninpr.org.uk/bhm-barbara-phillips/