Messy as F*ck: When bigotry takes Delta flights... we're all on pins and apologies
👋🏾 Soooo…collective illusion is public enemy number one. “Don’t Believe The Hype”. Every Tuesday, we’ll say the quiet parts out loud (in your inbox). So we can cancel or co-sign marketing or market trends and discern pop culture gems from flops together. And start making sense of the nonsense online.
There are very few things in our society that we can stand tall and proud on.
Depending on where you live, these include access to clean water, local cable, and our heritage.
Unfortunately, we often take these rights for granted.
When we’re no longer allowed to express our humanity—when we’re unable to show how world events affect us, or when family members are now a memory due to war.
It becomes a life-threatening decision to choose peace over turmoil.
Exhibit A
A Delta employee’s response to two company flight attendants wearing a Palestinian flag pin. Which has now been removed.
Perspective is a two-headed dragon—one head sees an attack on one’s heritage, while the other views it as protecting it.
The action taken by the two flight attendants is equivalent to taking a knee vs wearing a red MAGA hat. Yet, one can get you fired and the other will get you props in America.
I’ll let you decide which one is which.
Since the Thursday incident, Delta has apologized for the social media post criticizing employees wearing Palestinian flag pins. They emphasized their commitment to diversity, and the two staff in question were actually compliant with the uniform policy and still work for the airline. Thank God, too, because I have an upcoming flight with them 😩.
This could have been messy as f*ck! A complete shit show.
But shortly after, Delta Airlines was called out by The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the country’s largest Muslim advocacy organization, for the “racist anti-Palestinian tweet”. They handled the situation responsibility by apologizing promptly and taking decisive action.
And for any other brand seeking a frame of reference—if, by chance, an employee shows up as a human at work and it’s taken out of context…
Here are 5 things to do to stay off a corporate social responsibility-PR nightmare shit list:
1. Issue A Prompt Apology: Delta quickly issued an apology after the incident came to light. This demonstrated accountability and acknowledged THEIR mistake.
2. Follow up with a Public Statement: They made a public statement addressing the incident, which helps in transparency around their commitment to addressing diversity and inclusion concerns.
3. Investigate and Address Concerns: Delta counselled the employee who crafted the social response and removed their access from social channels. This shows their seriousness in understanding what happened and preventing similar occurrences in the future.
4. Reaffirm or Amend Company Policy: Delta clarified its stance and reinforced its commitment to diversity by stating that its policy previously allowed employees to wear pins representing countries/nationalities of the world. However, effective July 15, only U.S. flags will be permitted to be worn on uniforms.
5. Support The Employees Affected: Delta supported the affected employees. This step is critical for maintaining employee morale and trust.
Over to you…are you cancelling or co-signing the follow-up response from Delta Airlines?