19 June 2020

How are genealogy companies addressing racism?

Findmypast posted a message from the CEO Tamsin Todd. Findmypast identifies four actions it will take to confront racism?

  • reviewing how we can make our historical records and newspapers work harder to educate about the history and context of slavery, racism, and the struggle for equality.
  • step-up our search for opportunities to digitize or publish such archives and make them accessible. In partnership with The National Archives, we have digitized thousands of passenger lists and records from the Royal African Company 1694-1743. The Royal African Company played a large role in the transatlantic slave trade. 
  • listen to the perspectives of our employees, customers, and the genealogy community. We will continue to review our recruiting and hiring practices. We will improve our reporting on diversity.
  • measure our progress. We will report back to our community by the end of the year on how we are doing.
Margo Georgiadis, President & CEO of Ancestry posted a note to our global community. What is Ancestry doing?
  • assessing all of our core human resource processes and working to ensure that Inclusion & Diversity best practices are woven into every step — from the way we hire, develop, promote, and pay our employees.
  • created an intercultural advisory council of experts internally and externally to review every new product, marketing campaign and program to ensure that what we do is as culturally sensitive as possible. 
  • hold ourselves accountable and ask that our valued members do so as well.

Let's look forward to updates on how these community leaders follow through.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

MOST interesting John. I had no idea both were headed by women. Goodie. BT

Susan said...

Good points made by Find My Past