In one of my proudest moments as NYC Human Rights Commissioner, we signed agreements with the CEOs of the City’s largest advertising agencies who will increase their minority ranks—particularly in the creative and managerial positions—making their workforce more reflective of the City’s rich diversity.

millions of African-American and Hispanic consumers. Yet, the individuals responsible for this marketing—the creative directors—generally do not come from the minority communities.

I commend the CEOs of the agencies for committing themselves to an enhanced equal employment opportunity program that will yield lasting results. The transparency created in these agreements will also help ensure their success.

The 16 agreements are the culmination of our three-year investigation into the employment practices of the high-profile industry of advertising—an investigation that revealed that minority employee levels at the agencies were well below the levels in other industries. In this day and age, that can’t be tolerated, especially since these advertisers work for many major corporations that have a large minority client base. Also, what made the situation more distressing is that the number of minorities at these ad firms, particularly African-Americans, had barely increased since the 1960s.

Our investigations don’t always begin as a result of reports from members of the public. Often, we take a proactive approach toward combating systemic discrimination in the City. We test daily for discrimination and we have begun a new testing program in employment for race discrimination. Based on a Princeton University study that the Commission assisted with, we are measuring the role that race plays in obtaining entry-level employment in the City. Unlike the previous study where no formal complaints were filed, the Commission is filing charges against any employer found discriminating. We are also stepping up our proactive testing in housing to uncover discriminatory practices by real estate agents, building owners, and managers.

Discrimination is unacceptable anywhere, but especially in a City as diverse as New York. We will continue to enforce one of the strongest civil rights laws in the nation to promote equal opportunities for everyone who lives in, works in, and visits our great City.