Jimmy Smith on Race, Police, Advertising and Optimism
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Editor’s Note: In the past few years, marketers and agencies have grown comfortable taking stands about sometimes controversial topics, including mass shootings and terror attacks. But in the wake of recent police-related shootings and the attack on police in Dallas, the industry was mostly silent. It’s understandable. Race in America is still the toughest thing for us to talk about. We often talk about talking about it — let’s have a conversation, let’s raise awareness. But we thought we’d reach out to a few African-American industry leaders and ask their thoughts on recent events. Their answers were refreshingly frank and honest. In print, we ran excerpts. Online we’re running their answers at length.
Below are the answers from Jimmy Smith, Chairman-CEO and CCO of Amusement Park Entertainment. (Here are the answers from Translation’s Steve Stoute, 135th Street Agency’s Shante Bacon and MING’s Tara DeVeaux. This might make some people uncomfortable, but you say you want to have a dialogue, there is the only way to start: by listening. — Ken Wheaton
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