What was the source of the initial capital used to found this company? Does that capital have links to the slave trade, colonialization, mass incarceration, war, genocide, or other historic injustices?

During the era of Jim Crow and segregation, what were our hiring and promotion policies? Did we profit from state-sanctioned discrimination or the "cultural dehumanization" of certain groups to serve profit accumulation?

What is the history of the land that is now home to our headquarters, offices, or factories? How did our company acquire this land?

In what ways does our company still benefit today from the status and wealth built during periods of exploitation or extraction?

The "Permanent Entity" Check

If we view our corporation as a "permanent person" (as defined in corporate law), would that person be considered to have "moral taint" based on their past actions?

Are there specific chapters of our corporate history that we actively avoid in our brand storytelling? Why?

Alignment of Advocacy

Does our current social advocacy align with our historical harms? (e.g., If we historically profited from environmental degradation in a specific region, is our current "Green Initiative" focused there, or is it a generic global campaign?)

Stakeholder Identification

Who are the modern-day descendants or communities affected by our historical legacies of extraction? Have we engaged them in a dialogue of "retribution, reparation, and reform"?

What systemic changes are required to ensure that the logic which allowed for historical exploitation (e.g., prioritizing short-term profit over human or planetary wellbeing) is no longer embedded in our KPIs or board-level decision-making?

Conduct a Historical Audit - Questions every company should examine before engaging in corporate advocacy

Madison Tillman
Mar 13
2 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

While Corporate Social Responsibility concerns itself with the future, corporate advocacy is often a reaction to the present. But organizations cannot weather the storms of the present and future without first addressing their past. When we apply a reparative lens to corporate responsibility and advocacy, we build truly sustainable organizations.

Use these questions to begin the introspection that is necessary for honest and effective corporate advocacy.

Investigate the Origins

Foundational Capital: What was the source of the initial capital used to found this company? Does that capital have links to the slave trade, colonialization, mass incarceration, war, genocide, or other historic injustices?
Operational History: During the era of Jim Crow and segregation, what were our hiring and promotion policies? Did we profit from state-sanctioned discrimination or the "cultural dehumanization" of certain groups to serve profit accumulation?
Property & Land: What is the history of the land that is now home to our headquarters, offices, or factories? How did our company acquire this land?

Understand the Legacy

Persistent Benefit: In what ways does our company still benefit today from the status and wealth built during periods of exploitation or extraction?
The "Permanent Entity" Check: If we view our corporation as a "permanent person" (as defined in corporate law), would that person be considered to have "moral taint" based on their past actions?
Current Silence: Are there specific chapters of our corporate history that we actively avoid in our brand storytelling? Why?

Build a Reparative Strategy

Alignment of Advocacy: Does our current social advocacy align with our historical harms? (e.g., If we historically profited from environmental degradation in a specific region, is our current "Green Initiative" focused there, or is it a generic global campaign?)
Stakeholder Identification: Who are the modern-day descendants or communities affected by our historical legacies of extraction? Have we engaged them in a dialogue of "retribution, reparation, and reform"?
Internal Reform: What systemic changes are required to ensure that the logic which allowed for historical exploitation (e.g., prioritizing short-term profit over human or planetary wellbeing) is no longer embedded in our KPIs or board-level decision-making?

Sources

"When Should Companies Weigh In on Contentious Issues?"

"A Framework for Dealing with Corporate Legacies of Irresponsibility"

Corporate Responsibility and Repair for Anti-Black Racism

A Corporate Law Rationale for Reparations