5 Ways We're Celebrating Black History Month

For Black History Month, we are taking time as an agency to recognize the historical achievements made by the African American community, and highlighting those who continue the provocative conversations about equality today. Take a read below about how we celebrating across all our offices this February.

#1: Celebrating Critical Milestones

2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the 15th Amendment, which first gave Black men the right to vote, and the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which first granted voting rights to women. In honor of these accomplishments and more, we have installed a “Gallery of Firsts” highlighting African Americans in US History across who have served as barrier breakers and created a tremendous impact on our nation. We will also have a panel discussion that celebrates voting rights and African American culture, underscoring the importance of voter registration for all.

#2: Education is Key

We are showcasing Black History facts highlighting members of the community including famous boxer Muhammad Ali, Channing Dungey, the first Black woman to become the president of ABC entertainment, Marsai Martin, the youngest executive producer in Hollywood, and Vincent Cullers who was said to have created the first Black media agency in the country.

#3: Our Sources of Inspiration

We have music playing in our lobbies with a new genre of music featured each week that was created by or contributed to by Black people. So far we've featured Motown greats like The Temptations, Jazz legends Louis Armstrong and Miles David, and Rap & Hip Hop artists Run DMC, Jay-Z, and Tribe Called Quest.

#4 Continuing Provocative Conversations

Mixed Company, a podcast that unpacks and confronts current issues occurring in advertising, is recording a live episode with Mindshare at the end of the month. The episode will discuss the diversity issues and shifts within the media industry, and feature commentary from members of The Collective, our internal grassroots initiative focused on building a more inclusive, intersectional agency culture. Stay tuned to hear more!

#5: Bringing #TeamMindshare Together

Our Los Angeles team is hosting a game show to highlight the societal contributions made by the African American community in a fun, unique way. Named "The BlackList", this Jeopardy-style game lets teams answer questions from different categories about Black inventors (many who created technology we couldn't live without today), musicians, and pioneers that challenged the status quo.