Burrell Communications Group announced it will host a virtual town hall titled, “Black Lives Have Always Mattered to Us.”
According to a release, the town hall will take place Thursday, July 30 at 2 p.m. EST and will be hosted by ESPN/ABC News correspondent Ryan Smith. The town hall will serve as an open forum to generate further dialogue around issues that not only impact Black marketing and communications professionals but the African American community at large.
“Now more than ever, the importance of multicultural marketing cannot be denied,” McGhee Williams Osse, co-CEO, Burrell Communications Group said in the release.
Panelists for the event include Tracy Anderson, Burrell Communications vice-president/account director; Jeffery Fortune, senior account planner for account planning/research; Brandi Rand, associate social media director; Brittny Pharr, account director and Corey Seaton, vice president, and creative director.
The town hall comes at a time where police reform and brutality are at the forefront of topics in America. The police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have sparked protests nationwide and abroad. The protests, which started in May, are still going and have only gained momentum as President Trump sends federal troops to Portland and Seattle.
The virtual town hall, hosted by Burrell Communications, will hit on all these topics as well as what’s next for Black-owned businesses and how to market and succeed in a tumultuous time.
The panelists will also discuss the coronavirus pandemic, which is disproportionately affecting Black Americans. A survey by the Census Bureau shows, more than 45% of Black and Latino respondents have no chance of paying their rent for the month of August.
Additionally, the infection and death rates from the coronavirus are higher for Latinos and Black Americans due to societal issues such as lower-income jobs, an inability to work from home, and more reliance on public transportation.
Those interested can sign up here.