Following a year of increased attention on the Black Lives Matter movement and violence against Asian and Pacific Islander communities, corporate America is joining conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion. Tech companies pledge millions to anti-racist organizations; fashion brands promise to increase the diversity of their models and employees. Is it all just performative activism?
 
This week’s first source consults with companies on how to address social issues and avoid superficial gestures that promote no change.

Christina Ferraz is the founder of Thirty6five, a public relations agency that does media relations, social media marketing and image management for nonprofits and public figures. They are an expert in communications and marketing with a focus on multicultural inclusion and diversity.
 
Ferraz can speak about marketing strategies that reach communities of color, common failures of companies in efforts to be inclusive, and LGBTQIA+ representation in PR. 

You can listen to Christina Ferraz here. 

July 26, 2021, marked the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a victory of the American disability rights movement. Our second source is the impact producer of the Oscar-nominated 2020 documentary Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution. She led the film's impact campaign, which promoted the film through community outreach and advocacy initiatives. As part of the campaign she launched a fellowship, relief fund, and virtual 15-week disability justice program for disabled artists and activists.

Andraéa LaVant is the president and chief inclusion officer of LaVant Consulting Inc., a communications firm that offers training and consulting for companies on building disability inclusion campaigns. LaVant can speak about the impact of disability representation in media, ableism and creating support programs for disabled communities. She's appeared on Washington Post Live, Good Morning America, NBCBLK and other outlets.

You can listen to Andraéa LaVant here. 
 

Other sources of interest this week
 
The Tokyo Olympics are underway! Surfing had its debut, alongside sport climbing, 3x3 basketball, karate and skateboarding.

Dina Gilio-Whitaker is policy director and senior researcher at the Center for World Indigenous Studies and an adjunct professor of American Indian studies at California State University, San Marcos. She’s an expert in critical sports studies, specifically as it relates to the intersection of indigenous culture and the sport of surfing.

Sources of the Week on the news

Briana Scurry spoke to WBUR about sexism in women’s sports uniforms. Tristan Walker joined NPR’s 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit. Ninez Ponce spoke to KGTV about data from UCLA's 2021 California Health Interview Survey. Iván Espinoza-Madrigal spoke to WGBH about potential changes to the electoral system of Haverhill, Mass. Faiza Patel went on KSTX’s The Source to discuss information dissemination and censorship on social media platforms, and the role of national security in the matter. Tracey Meares spoke to the Los Angeles Times about a study that showed differences in the tone of police officers while speaking to white and Black drivers.  

Thanks to all who have been utilizing sources.npr.org!