Amid unrest, CEOs and brands denounce racism in Floyd killing
Organizations offer anguished responses to the killing of a black man in Minneapolis while remaining silent on the vandalism and looting of their stores.
Editor’s note: This article is a re-run as part of our countdown of top stories from the past year.
How should an organization respond when a civil rights outrage—the death of an African American in police custody—is followed by nationwide looting and arson?
The question is especially fraught when many companies’ stores are victims of a backlash that included looting and arson.
The nation erupted in fury over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in handcuffs as a Minneapolis police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. For their parts, businesses took a calibrated approach in their messaging.
The now-fired officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder. As many called the charges insufficient, peaceful protests nationwide spiraled into outbursts of looting and burning that didn’t spare major brands.
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