A new study from the Strategic Management Journal suggests that on such a visible and contentious issue, silence still prompts backlash. The study helps explain why so many companies and CEOs are engaging in corporate activism on issues that do not seem to relate to their business strategy when it often triggers negative public responses. BLM presents an extreme example of public reaction, but likely a valid one amid the current sociopolitical discourse in the United States. As polarization grows, consumers are less likely to ever assume corporate neutrality. Although it’s tempting to avoid controversial social issues, corporate silence comes with costs.