Facing Change In The Boardroom

"Not everything that is faced can be changed," wrote James Baldwin 60 years ago, "but nothing can be changed until it is faced." The dramas of 2020 placed racial injustice and disparities squarely before us. Have we truly faced them?

Under the immediate impact of Covid-19 and the "race pandemic," businesses expressed support in public statements; some made long-overdue changes to company logos and other aspects of branding. Such gestures matter. At the same time, they raise a bigger question: What actionable steps can legal employers take to move the needle on diversity in deeper and more lasting ways?

One crucial answer: diversify governance. Exploding sexual harassment claims spurred by #MeToo and increased visibility of systemic race disparities following George Floyd's murder highlight how corporate cultures are buffeted by shifting social norms and societal polarization. In this new normal, corporate governance requires directors not just with financial