As people around the world process the ongoing unrest following the death of George Floyd, many are reconsidering the role that they play in systemic racism. Merriam-Webster has responded by updating the definition of racism to include systemic oppression.

From the record-breaking Black Panther, to viral ‘Black Twitter’ memes, it’s clear that black Americans are cultural catalysts. Canvas8 talks to Jerome Williams, marketing professor at Rutgers University and founder of Walker & Company, Tristan Walker, about how black Americans are influencing culture.

With social media giving everyone a voice and helping to raise awareness of corporate missteps, people are more critical of brands than ever. But ‘call-out culture’ doesn’t have to be a source of concern – it can be an opportunity to create authentic identities both reactively and proactively.

BLM has people scrutinizing how companies are actively contributing to racial inequality in the United States. Acknowledging how facial recognition endangers minority communities, Amazon, IBM, and Microsoft are setting moratoriums on the use of facial recognition by police.