Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/105245
ICI•pg_14-22__BMT_pg3-58 1/22/13 2:21 AM Page 22 tourism department heads both domestically and internationally. Like a broken record most will tell you that AfricanAmericans don't travel or don't spend money. Others believe they can reach the African-American consumer using their general market resources – in other words we are being marginalized. Most destinations outsource their business to large Madison Avenue firms. Very few of these firms have AfricanAmericans in managerial or creative positions hence the snub and the distorted comments mentioned above. For those who do set aside a portion of their budget for the "diversity markets" those budgets get slashed during a recession so drastically that it might not appear that they ever had a diversity budget in the first place. Many African-American's will not like what I'm about to say next, but at the risk of ruffling a few feathers, we have nobody to blame but ourselves. I've lost track of how many meetings I've sat in where complaints about our lack of progress fly around the room faster than an auctioneer can say, "sold to the person in the front row." Most of these conversations lack any semblance of a solution. Solutions won't be easy. Our neglect has left us vulnerable and devoid of fresh ideas. Look around. The demographics of America are changing rapidly. The economy is also starting to heal. The time is now to find and implement solutions. Here are a few suggestions. First, there must be sustainability. Every time we make a little progress, we retreat resting on our laurels thinking the change we've made is lasting. We become complacent only to have the rug slowly ripped out from under us. If there is any one thing we should learn from the LGBT community is that sustained effort wins the day. Success might come in fits and starts, but it will come, if for no other reason than you are on the right side of the issue. Case in point about our lack of sustained effort – the NAACP previously had a report card system that graded hotels on things like diversity in management and supplier diversity. As flawed as the report card system was, allowing the hotels to report on themselves, at least it was a system. Fortunately, the NAACP is about to embark upon reinstating a report card system. My admonition to the NAACP is to create a platform that does not require self-reporting. As was proven in the previous iteration, few hotels even participated and for those that did, the data lacked an honest assessment. Also, make sure those travel and tourism industry professionals you consult are truly committed to diversity or your findings will ring hallow. Which actually brings me to another point that has troubled me for some time. One reason we as a people can't sustain our efforts is individual self-interest supersedes all. No, there is nothing wrong with pursuing self-interest, but for those who choose to lead diversity efforts you must recognize when a greater good can be served and temper your pursuit of recognition. Think strategically and employ different tactics for the greater good, otherwise you become part of the problem. Too many times I have witnessed leaders of African-American organizations in our industry treat their organizations as if it were their own individual fiefdom at the exclusion of their members. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, in a phrase he took from the Bible, "a house divided against itself can not stand." Number two is data collection. Most of the data I've seen on African-American travel and tourism talks about a $50 billion a year African-American marketplace. First, that particular report has a few flaws because it doesn't account for our meeting and convention business. Someone in the African-American travel community must become the repository of our travel data and its economic impact and keep it updated. This will not be an easy lift, but lift we must. Since we don't control the marketing and advertising dollars, we must make the economic argument to gain clout in the industry. Third, we must control our message. More often than not others are telling our story. Those large Madison Avenue firms I mentioned earlier are not conveying the true African-American experience and our contributions both as professionals and consumers. This allows them to control what the rest of the industry, the country and global community think of us. We have more opportunity to correct this sin today than at anytime in our history thanks to the Internet. We must strive to be leaders in the adoption of technology, not followers. It seems we always wait to find out what the general market does then we react. Technology is one area where being proactive should be encouraged. Finally, we should think about our own lobbying group at both the federal and state level. I've been an advocate of this for years and have started taking steps in that direction. We have no voice to address our concerns to government leaders. Most travel and tourism dollars that come into state coffers never find their way to the African-American community even though we contribute tens of millions to each state. Why, because no one is minding the store. In closing, Cornel West said something very profound that sums up the point I'm making. "You've got to be a thermostat rather than a thermometer, a thermostat shapes the climate of opinion; a thermometer just reflects it." "You've got to be a thermostat rather than a thermometer, a thermostat shapes the climate of opinion; a thermometer just reflects it." 22 B M & T ••• November/December 2012 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com