BMI’s Commitment to Change
There is no place for racism and social injustice in our world. BMI stands with the Black community and supports the powerful movement for change that has swept the nation. In June, BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill held an all-employee Town Hall and outlined a series of steps the company will be taking to help drive and support diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the company and tolerance and social justice within our local communities. O’Neill spoke about the importance of taking time to make the right decisions and ensuring thoughtful, meaningful efforts that are sustainable for the long term. Below is an overview of the actionable steps BMI is taking.
Social Justice
BMI is pledging $275,000 to foundations dedicated to advancing social equality and racial justice. BMI is donating $25,000 to nine different groups specializing in voting rights, underserved communities and social justice reform. BMI will also be donating $25,000 to be divided among a group of smaller, locally focused organizations in the cities where BMI has offices. In keeping with the spirit of BMI and its mission, the remaining $25,000 will be donated for the creation of the Black American Walk of Fame in Atlanta, GA, to preserve, protect and promote the legacy of authentic Black American Music.
Volunteerism
BMI is dedicated to devoting more than money to advance these essential causes. It is imperative that we take personal actions to help drive change. With that in mind, all BMI team members will receive four extra paid days to focus on volunteering within their local communities. The company will also establish a dedicated day of volunteering within the cities where it operates offices for BMI team members to engage in volunteer work together.
Governance & Employees
BMI has formed an internal task force to be helmed by BMI Vice President of Creative, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton, that is charged with guiding BMI in its efforts to be more inclusive and diverse as a company, while challenging the injustice and racism we see in our communities.
BMI will be adding a senior level Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Responsibility officer to the Executive Leadership team who will report directly to O’Neill. This position will ensure that BMI continues to foster a culture that embraces a diversity of talent values, ideas, beliefs and backgrounds. They will work closely with BMI’s Human Resources team to continue to strengthen the company’s recruiting efforts, hiring practices, advancement and training programs. They will also further BMI’s educational efforts to ensure that there is a broader understanding across the company of the concepts of equity and unconscious bias.
Ongoing Assessment
BMI is looking closely at several specific areas of company activity to ensure that they uphold and satisfy our focus on, and commitment to, diversity, inclusion and equality. These include the festivals BMI participates in and the lineups at those events, the diversity of the various workshops, songwriter and composer events, and song camps BMI hosts, BMI’s support of minority-owned businesses, as well as the diversity of the outside vendors used by the company.
BMI has also created a resource center with a working list of educational material and racial equality initiatives for those interested in learning more or wanting to take action that will be updated as needed.
BMI will continue to review and refine our plans as we go forward. Please continue to check BMI.com and our social media platforms for updates.
Community
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