STAT OF THE DAY According to Edelman’s Trust Barometer update on audience sentiment around racial justice, 63% of Americans say they are concerned about systemic racism in the U.S. COVID-19 UPDATE - At the time of reporting, The New York Times showed 2,201,399 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and 118,458 deaths. Bing’s COVID-19 Tracker showed 2,235,934 cases in the U.S. and 120,250 deaths.
- President Trump will hold his first rally in months tomorrow in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The original date for the rally was Friday, but the president moved the event after backlash over the event being held on Juneteenth, the date commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S.
- New York has finally hit the metrics to enter Phase 2 of its reopening plan, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo finished his last daily briefing Friday.
- Unemployment is falling across the country, but remains unfathomably high at over 20% in Hawaii, Nevada and Michigan.
How is your organization commemorating Juneteenth? The holiday that marks the end of slavery in the U.S. has taken on extra meaning this year. Here’s how many business leaders are approaching the day.
Uncle Ben joins Aunt Jemima as brands revisit potentially racist caricatures. The company that makes Uncle Ben’s rice said the move comes as part of its efforts to listen. Fox Business wrote: “As a global brand, we know we have a responsibility to take a stand in helping to put an end to racial bias and injustices,” Mars said in a statement. “As we listen to the voices of consumers, especially in the black community, and to the voices of our associates worldwide, we recognize that now is the right time to evolve the Uncle Ben’s brand, including its visual brand identity, which we will do.” When addressing staff cuts, make sure you use the correct terminology. Here are some origins of words that find their way into messages about workforce reductions. Taco Bell takes to Twitter to address employee’s firing over BLM mask. The worker, Denzel Skinner, said he was dismissed for wearing a face covering that said “Black Lives Matter” at a Youngstown, Ohio, location. The chain tweeted an apology: 
Sometimes a leadership change is necessary in a crisis—but it won’t solve everything. German payments firm Wirecard parted with its CEO amid turmoil over an accounting scandal that has rocked its share price. However, a leadership change won’t change the facts—and the missing $2.1 billion might still sink the company. How can you prove your commitment to diversity with action? Panelists shared some of their top recommendations for how organizations can have a positive impact right away on issues of racial justice and equality in the workplace and their communities. WFH has disproportionate effect on black employees. For workers who are facing discrimination or loneliness because of their skin color, the lockdown during COVID-19 has only exacerbated difficult work conditions. The Harvard Business Review wrote: The current work-from-home scenarios pose an additional conundrum for Black workers: Rather than affording them the personal choice to weigh benefits and tradeoffs of racial identity expressions, they are now literally broadcasting more of their identities from their personal living spaces. Work from home arrangements often require people to (virtually) invite coworkers, clients, physicians, students and professors into their homes, which undermines their ability to exercise agency and control over how they present their identities. Videoconferencing has transformed formerly safe, private spaces for authentic cultural expression into focal points of the public gaze. Agility becomes the norm for the future of work. Here are some ways you can push your organization to prepare for the next new normal, from diversity and inclusion to technology and innovation. And here’s what some predict will drive permanent changes coming to the workplace. Transparency in a crisis helps you respond more quickly. Here are some of the reasons behind the best practices from Levi Strauss, and tips on how you can lead a better crisis response effort. American Airlines bans passenger who refuses to wear a mask. The issue of masks has been surprisingly tough for business leaders as some have tried to make the issue of wearing face coverings into a political issue. However, American Airlines is standing firm on the safety precaution for passengers. Boston.com wrote: American Airlines said in a statement Thursday that after reviewing the episode that [Brandon Straka] would no longer be allowed on any of its flights for as long as the mask requirement is in place. ... “As a result of this review, Mr. Straka will not be permitted to fly American, as he failed to comply with our stated policy and crew member instructions,” the airline said. “We are committed to protecting the safety and well-being of our customers and team members, which is why we strengthened enforcement of our policy for required face coverings on board. We expect customers who choose to fly with us to comply with these policies, and if necessary, we will deny future travel for customers who refuse to do so.” Virtual Conference Alert Join us for Ragan’s Remote Employee Engagement &Culture Virtual Conference on Tuesday, July 21 to learn internal comms strategies and best practices to meet the challenges of the new reality. Join our Crisis Leadership Board Ragan’s Crisis Leadership Board is the resource you need before, during and after the crisis. As a Board member, you have access to all back issues of this newsletter—as well as research, data, case studies, checklists, tip sheets, articles and other resources—plus a peer-to-peer discussion board and an all-access pass to the annual Crisis Management Conference. Sponsorship/Advertising Opportunities Contact Hannah Lavelle at HannahL@ragan.com with sponsorship and advertising inquiries. Pitch Us Have a great story to share about crisis communication or your own take on current best practices? Contact Editor Ted Kitterman at TedK@ragan.com. Sign Up Subscribe to Ragan’s Crisis Daily newsletter today. | 
