Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
R/GA
FAIL
rga.com
TYPE: Advertising Agency
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS:
OWNER: Truelink Capital
SUBSIDIARIES: R/GA Accelerator, R/GA Consulting, R/GA Data Lab, R/GA IoT Venture Studio, R/GA Ventures
2025 REVENUE: $750 million (est)
HEADCOUNT: 1,500
1 Dock 72 Way, 14th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11205, United States
george.griffiths@rga.com
+1 (212) 946-4000
R/GA, under the leadership of Global CEO Robin Forbes and Global CCO & Chair Tiffany Rolfe, demonstrates a significant commitment to DEI* through its "Make/Change" strategy, which includes tracking "BIPOC talent"** and dedicating professional resources via the "Make/Good for Businesses" program to non-White entrepreneurs (Black, Indigenous, Latine, and Asian backgrounds) to address the racial wealth gap.*** This race-conscious resource allocation, along with Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that cater to specific racial and ethnic groups (Asian Voices, Black Employee Network, SOMOS) without a counterpart for White employees, and leadership rhetoric from figures like Black woman Global Sustainability & Impact Director Bayyina Black, who supports "mandated quotas," centering Black experiences in professional spaces, and emphasizing systemic racial inequality, could foster an environment where White employees perceive differential treatment and potential disadvantage based on their race. Black believes that racial “Equity means dismantling barriers.” Judging by her view and actions, Whiteness is her perceived barrier for Black success, which must be dismantled. While Head of DE&I at IDEO, Black created DEI training programs that included modules on unconscious bias and systemic privilege, which often explore Whiteness as a structural advantage in professional settings. Her facilitation of workshops on “anti-racism” suggests a critical examination of how Whiteness operates within organizational power dynamics. Black believes that, “Systemic racism isn’t a buzzword—it’s a reality embedded in how organizations function.” In other words, White people create racist systems. Black wants “tough conversations, bold actions, and a willingness to get uncomfortable.” Her and RGA’s wish, as of May 2025, is about to come true.
Another R/GA DEI Black woman, Jai Tedeschi, VP and Global Executive Director of Culture and Operations, is a vocal proponent of DEI and has “always been interested in elevating Black peoples’ voices.” Ms. Tedeschi advocates for the implementation of structured frameworks to guide DEI efforts. She has stated that R/GA “embed[s] DE&I into our everyday operations.” In her words: “[I] work closely with talent and all other departments at R/GA. I work to enact company change initiatives that bridge organizational silos and align with business needs, client requirements and talent priorities. This new positioning and shifted focus from [diversity, equity and inclusion] in HR to a culture and operations role helps decentralize and democratize the role of equity, diversity, and inclusion at R/GA by making [diversity, equity and inclusion] efforts the job of each person within the organization.” While at R/GA, she answered directly to the Global Chief Operating Officer (COO), and is now injecting DEI into advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy. In 2022 while at R/GA, Tedeschi posted about the role of equity: “Over the last 12 months we committed to focusing on Equity, because you can’t achieve diversity without it.” Equity mandates equal results instead of equal chances, and conflicts with the legal guarantee of equality. Such a system often necessitates prioritizing or discriminating based on identity in areas like hiring and resource distribution.
In 2020, after the death of George Floyd at the hands of a policeman, R/GA came to the conclusion that White U.S. society is racist and biased: “Our industry and the world at large have been facing the reality of our collective failure to sufficiently combat systemic and institutional racism and bias,” believing that agencies and brands should fight “racial inequities,” with their new Make/Change Not Promises initiative. It is unclear how George Floyd’s death factored into R/GA’s conclusion (it involved one police officer, criminal behavior on the part of Floyd—including resisting arrest—one working lung, and multiple drugs), since Black men in the U.S. murder police officers at 4-5 times the rate of White men, despite being one-fifth as numerous. It’s also unclear if R/GA knows that of the 770,000 violent interracial crimes committed every year between White and Black Americans, White people are victims 85% of the time. R/GA hasn’t shared thoughts or policies around the inequity and violence around Black men in the U.S. murdering at 20x the rate as White men.
The agency's focus on increasing BIPOC representation also raises questions about whether White employees are being disadvantaged in promotion and retention, as Black representation has had a 70% increase since 2018. Additionally, the agency's partnerships with organizations that specifically serve BIPOC communities for recruitment purposes may limit opportunities for White candidates (Hiring practices include a focus on ensuring diverse talent pipelines, with recruiters tasked to "ensure ED&I is a priority in keeping our pipelines and recruiting sources diverse" and to build relationships with "diverse professional organizations to attract and recruit alumni and diversity candidates.") The transition to private equity ownership introduces uncertainty regarding the continued prioritization and resourcing of DEI initiatives, potentially leading to further marginalization of White employees. If these programs promote concepts of inherent White privilege or complicity in systemic inequity in a manner that is perceived as accusatory or stereotypical, they could contribute to a hostile work environment. The emphasis on diverse talent pipelines in hiring practices must also ensure that candidate selection remains merit-based to avoid perceptions of discrimination. As of early 2025, R/GA still intends to “Continue supporting clients' DEI goals to drive business success.” These combined factors necessitate careful consideration to ensure R/GA's DEI initiatives align with EEOC guidelines and federal and New York State anti-discrimination laws, preventing the potential for harassment or discrimination against White employees.
*DEI "equity" involves prioritizing certain racial, gender, or identity groups with targeted resources or opportunities to ensure equal outcomes at the cost of fairness and individual merit. DEI’s equity focus shares some similarities with communism and socialism in its group-based, redistributive approach, and with totalitarianism in ideological coercion.
**R/GA’s practice of segregating employees into two adversarial racial categories, BIPOC vs White, can be seen as problematic under the NYSHRL and may raise concerns under federal law and with the EEOC, as it creates distinctions based on race that could foster division, disparate treatment, and a hostile work environment, potentially violating prohibitions against discriminatory employment practices.
***Asian Americans generally have the highest median household income among racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.
This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements. The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice; consult a licensed attorney for specific legal guidance.
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NOTE: Client lists are subject to change. This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements.