By Elisha Edwards
Entering my first PR class at Georgia Southern, I did not think I would see so few people who looked like me. As someone who comes from a diverse background, I was surprised to see such a lack of diversity in the profession I was trying to make my way into. I thought maybe I was overthinking or it was the class times I was choosing. I turned to the internet out of curiosity, and there is where I learned it was not overthinking because the fact is there is not a lot of diversity in Public Relations.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 12.2% of Public Relations and Fundraising Managers are African American as of 2023. Only 9.2 % are Hispanic and only 3% of Asians are represented. These statistics were shocking to me because I understand the role of Public Relations professionals. I thought to myself, “How can messages represent or reach a target audience of minorities when a minority is not involved?” or “Shouldn’t we have more minorities being spokesperson and talking to people who look like them?”
I think many minorities may not be aware of the work of PR professionals. Growing up I did not know anyone who was in the field of PR, so I had to discover the world of communications on my own. This must change because diversity is so important.
What I hope to see in the future is a more diverse profession. How will we get there? I do not know, but I hope to be able to advocate for other black women who are interested in the world of PR or communications.