It’s flattering, it really is, to be a member of a section of society currently getting so much attention in the advertising and marketing trade press. These days, hardly a week goes by without someone from adland stepping forward to say how committed they are to diversity and a fairer representation of ethnic minorities, both onscreen and behind the scenes.     

And we’ve just been treated to the Black to Front extravaganza on Channel 4 – a well-timed initiative when seen in the context of this year’s All In diversity programme backed by the likes of the AA, the IPA and ISBA; and the WFA’s commitment to beefing up its Diversity & Inclusion hub                                                           

So... we’re making progress, surely? It’s easy to think so. And then you pick up a document like the report earlier this month from Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee and you realise how vast the gap still is between the rhetoric and the reality on the ground.                                                           

The report highlighted the fact that there’s a picture of shocking inequality hidden in the latest UK unemployment figures – and that this inequality has worsened during the pandemic. “The impact on young black people has been particularly acute, with unemployment rising to 41.6% in the last quarter of 2020 compared to an already high 24.5% a year earlier...”

There was a row about this in the corridors of power the week before last, with the PAC taking the Department for Works and Pensions to task for seemingly trying to brush these irksome stats under a corner of the Palace of Westminster’s sumptuous carpeting. But you can be forgiven if this little spat passed you by altogether... a couple of stories hidden away on online news platforms, a close-of-show strand on BBC2’s Newsnight. And that was it.                                      

After all, we were told earlier in the year that, whatever the raw numbers may suggest, there’s no real problem here. Back in March, the Government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities reported that it had “found no evidence” of systematic racism in the UK. And then it went on (surreally in the eyes of many) to extol Britain’s virtues as a shining example for other white- majority nations to learn from.                                                    

I could cite lots of other research initiatives that beg to differ. The Lammy Review and the McGregor-Smith Review, for instance, both from 2017. Or the Centre for Social Investigation study in 2019 which revealed high levels of job discrimination faced by ethnic minorities in Britain.                                                  

One of the interviewees in Newsnight’s studio debate about the latest disappointing figures said it was time for the Government to bring forward legislation to ensure greater equality in the jobs market.                                                   

The first instinct of many when they hear this sort of talk is to sigh... and reject the idea out of hand. We all know the arguments, both historical and theoretical, as to why quotas and positive discrimination may be counterproductive.

A time for action                                                             

People should be hired on merit, I hear you say, no matter the colour of their skin (or their sexual orientation or their religious beliefs or whatever). Forcing employers to tick boxes, surely, would merely amount to another form of tokenism. And putting the wrong people in the wrong jobs might even help to reinforce prejudices.                                           

Well, perhaps. But there’s an alternative strand of argument insisting that maybe ethnic minorities now have nothing to lose in pursuing this.                                                    

And if we’re going to test the water, why not choose a sector that prides itself on its thought leadership and progressive values? One that has been arguing passionately about the societal benefits that can accrue from brand purpose.                                                         

So, yes, why not? Let’s start with the advertising industry.