Malia Lazu
“You’re either hiding your values or living your values.”
These words from Matthew MCarthy, former CEO of Ben and Jerry’s, were music to my ears. As a long-time activist and organizer, I recognized in his comment the very definition of what corporate allyship looks like.
At a time when far too many corporate leaders are backing away from promises and pledges to uphold their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), McCarthy both showcases and lives his values. McCarthy and I both spoke at a recent MIT Together Too, an event bringing together business leaders to learn from the MIT ecosystem.
Ben & Jerry’s has always been a progressive brand with a long history of taking on social issues. Even after global conglomerate Unilever bought the ice cream company, Ben & Jerry’s kept its authentic brand identity. The reason? Customers let Unilever know that Ben & Jerry’s authentic voice was a major reason why they bought the ice cream.
Activism is a legacy established by founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who made social issues part of their vibe, right along with buying milk from local dairy farmers. Ben & Jerry’s remains the standard bearer of corporate allyship – not because of lip service to an issue, but because they believe deeply in the DEI message.
Ben & Jerry’s leadership has always stood ready to take the backlash without getting scared about what they might lose. After all, this is an ice cream company that proudly showcases its “rebellious” flavors, including “Pecan Resist,” which it calls “a rebel of the highest order” with a “powerful message about resisting the [former] Trump administration’s regressive and discriminatory policies and building a future that values inclusivity, equality, and justice for people of color, women, the LGBTQ community, refugees, and immigrants.”
For those who might think Ben & Jerry’s are too radical, then consider what Blue Chip allyship looks like – from none other than IBM.
State Street, IBM Lead
In the early 1950s, Thomas Watson, as president of IBM, set a standard for white allyship as IBM sought to build manufacturing plants in North Carolina and Kentucky. At the time he wondered how his intention to racially integrate the plants would be viewed by the states. Nevertheless, he wrote in a Sept., 21, 1953, letter, “It is the policy of this organization to hire people who have the personality, talent and background necessary to fill a given job, regardless of race, color or creed.”
At IBM, DEI has never been viewed as charity. As IBM chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna said in a recent report, “Diversity and inclusion are key to our company’s success and can help propel innovation and expand access to opportunity.”
From this legacy of championing diversity, IBM has become recognized for its DEI efforts, including providing more opportunities for women and people of color and emphasizing supplier diversity – all of which it sees as a business imperative.
A local example on corporate allyship I highlight in my book, “From Intention to Impact,” is State Street’s response to George Floyd’s 2020 murder. Executives took 10 major actions to address racism focused on Black and Latinx employees, including improving Black and Latinx employee representation, sharpening focus on Black and Latinx talent development and leveraging State Street Global Advisors’ asset stewardship efforts.
They followed that up with a civil rights audit and announced a $100 million investment in minority depository institutions that were actively supporting structural change. Focusing both internally and leveraging their position in the economy let them set goals that live, not hide their values.
Allyship is not a public relations ploy. It takes more than posturing to be an ally. Companies and their leaders have to earn that distinction from authentic community leaders and diverse employees who attest that you do have an authentic voice when it comes to DEI and allyship.
After receiving affirming feedback from employees and the BIPOC community, companies will know their voice is ringing true. With that solid foundation to stand on, leaders can get in front of every microphone they can find to evangelize the DEI work and their commitment to it.
Malia Lazu is a lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, CEO of The Lazu Group, former Eastern Massachusetts regional president and chief experience and culture officer at Berkshire Bank and the author of “From Intention to Impact: A Practical Guide to Diversity.”
