We love that last night, when accepting his Leading Actor award at the BAFTAs, Joaquin Phoenix used his voice and his privilege in a really powerful way to call out the extreme lack of diversity in the awards this year.
What was so special about his speech, especially in the wake of the Laurence Fox debacle, was that Phoenix openly acknowledged himself to be part of the problem, rather than denying the existence of systemic racism. He spoke powerfully about the fact that he needed to do better, saying he'd not always done everything he "could to make sure the sets I work on are inclusive".
Phoenix's speech highlights exactly the conversations we're having with a number of clients this year. There's a really strong recognition that privilege is real and exists, and if unacknowledged, perpetuates really unhelpful dynamics throughout our culture. The best way to use privilege is exactly the way Joaquin Phoenix did last night - acknowledge its existence and use your voice to make a powerful change.
With the likes of Prince William also using their position and voices to talk about a lack of diversity at the awards, we feel more positive than we have done for a while. We're really excited about working with our clients in 2020 to support them in dismantling unhelpful structures in their business, and creating more inclusive working environments for everyone. If you want to talk to us about supporting your business through conversations on power and privilege this year, why not get in touch? hello@anewnormal.co