Black Artist Shames Microsoft For Insensitive Email About Black Lives Matter
In the wake of demonstrations across the country and the wake up call for corporate entities to improve their relationship with race, diverdsity and inclusion, Microsoft is now trying to remove the egg from their face. A Black artist hired to do a mural in the name of Black Lives Matter has exposed the tech giant for their insensitivity to the cause.
Mural artist Shantell Martin leaked an email, according to Business Insider, where the company requested for her to compose a mural that could be added to their Fifth Avenue location in New York City. The art work was supposed to be in alignment with the Black Lives Matter movement that has surged throughout the country since the killing of George Floyd on Memorial Day.
The email request, sent on behalf of Microsoft’s advertising firm McCann Erickson, asks Martin if she could make a June 7 deadline “while the protests are still relevant.”
“Apparently the folks at @microsoft and McCann Erickson feel that that the #blacklivesmatternMovement and protests will not be relevant after this weekend,” Martin tweeted in response.
Microsoft’s Chief Marketing Officer Chris Capossela tweeted an apology:
“Shantell, on behalf of Microsoft, I want to first apologize for the insensitive language used in our letter. There is no excuse. We recognize it was wrong and I am sorry. I respect you may not want to discuss this further, but if you are open to it, I’d like to connect directly.”
McCann’s CEO Harris Diamond joined Capossela in saying that he’s sorry.
No word on what Microsoft or McCann Erickson plans to do to address the individual who sent the email or going forward to ensure that this type of "error" doesn't happen again.
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