By Amara Lewis
Public relations work is something that requires you to step outside of yourself at times. It requires you to think for people you may not know, or cultures you have know knowledge of. It requires an open mind.
I have found as an aspiring media professional that this field will push you into things you thought you never would be a part of. There was already internal diversity in the work that public relations practitioners do, from clients to niches, but now our world has been pushed to take that a step further.
In the last few years, the initiatives for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I)have entered spaces across multiple fields. Businesses have found themselves promoting social issues on social platforms, making sure they show people of color in their commercials, and striving for comfortability amongst their staff in a place that should feel like a second home.
The workplace is a home away from home, it is a place that you have chosen to spend a certain amount of time at for a certain amount of days, because you have to. As the world becomes more socially conscious, businesses have had to follow suit and that also meant being authentic about it. Implementing D.E.I is more than just posting a rainbow flag as your profile picture or posting a black screen.
Implementing D.E.I starts within yourself. How do you actively support communities you may not be a part of in your personal life? And even if you do not support something at all, are you at least accepting of the diversity that is ever-changing around you? This can be as simple as having mental health check ins with your organization/employees, or having presentations or celebrations about certain celebratory months that minorities celebrate.
On a more serious level, D.E.I is making sure that people in your organization/workplace represent what you are promoting as an entity on social media. There should be gender-diversity, ethnic diversity, neurodiversity, etc. That is what it would look like to be truly inclusive and it would also show those interested in what your organization/company has to offer, that they have a great chance of being there and would be treated as such.
Overall, there is a great possibility that you will have happier people and closer relationships by being inclusive. It can draw new clients to you and open doors that you may have never been able to access in Public Relations. The simple connection between you and a client could potentially secure multiple campaigns with just that client, because of that extra support! I believe that understanding D.E.I will help you better understand more than just your clients, but also how specific communities respond to certain situations. This can get you ahead of campaigns, press releases, social media movements and ultimately crisis.
Some may find diversity in themselves by opening their minds to the umbrella of differences that we as humans share. Be intentional and authentic about making a safe space for others, it goes a long way!