Dear members—
In yesterday’s Quartz at Work from Home event, executive editor Heather Landy talked to four experts on racial justice, diversity, and inclusion about what it takes to build an anti-racist company. If you didn’t get a chance to tune in, I really recommend you read the recap or watch the recording.
Nadia Owusu, associate director of Living Cities and author of the forthcoming memoir Aftershocks, emphasized that diversity and inclusion are daily practices.
Steve Pemberton, chief human resources officer at Workhuman, recommends that non-Black would-be allies read Frederick Douglass’s famous speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”, which delves into the inconsistencies between the US Constitution’s high-minded democratic ideals and the country’s shameful history of slavery.
Pemberton also says it is not enough to sympathize or empathize with Black Americans protesting against systemic racism and police brutality. Allies must educate themselves and listen closely when Black Americans talk about their experiences. “Don’t seek to justify, defend, and deflect,” he says. “Challenge the assumptions you have.”
COVID-19 IS CHANGING FASHION
The coronavirus pandemic is transforming the global economy, and the fashion industry is no exception. Marc Bain, Quartz’s fashion reporter, has been tracking these changes over the past few months, and this week we’ve collected his coverage into a reading list for Quartz members.
Marc has explained how fashion’s seasonal calendar could change; why high-end designers are suddenly warming to Amazon; and why the pandemic has been particularly tough on independent designers.
As a member, you can read all of Marc’s coverage of Covid-19 and the fashion industry here.
CORONAVIRUS LIVING BRIEFING
We continue to update our living briefing on the pandemic, and one big update from this week concerns the entertainment industry. AMC plans to reopen “almost all” of its US theaters in July, and both Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and Disney’s Mulan are scheduled to be released next month. Quartz’s Adam Epstein and Amanda Shendruk charted how the pandemic has shifted the summer blockbuster calendar:
There was one movie release that was moved up, from October to early July. Can you guess what it is?
Best wishes for a safe and restorative weekend,
Walter Frick
Membership editor, Quartz
Sarah Todd contributed to this email.