DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION: MANIFESTING CHANGE BEYOND THE MONTH OF OCTOBER
Posted on Oct. 27, 2023 / Subscribe 0
by Kim Woodford, D&I Chair, PRSA Cleveland
PRSA marks October as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Month as well as Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) as noted in PRSA's 2023 DEI Toolkit. PRSA's Diverse Dialogues has assembled a variety of information centered on diversity equity and inclusion month that offers a wealth of valuable information and resources to increase your awareness and understanding to embed DEI in your organization.
Throughout the year, PRSA chapter D&I liaisons have connected in part to help push for increased representation of diverse professionals in our local chapters. From board ship to membership, outreach, and more. While making the commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is the easy part, the ongoing work to manifest change, not so much.
The work of DEI challenges us to go beyond our comfort zones as the bell hooks explained in one of her interviews. The late author, scholar, feminist, and social critic shared that it challenges us to no longer protect and hold on to our individual biases we may have of a group of people.” Rather to hold on to narrow bias and prejudices, we must broaden our view of self.
Like several of our chapter colleagues, the Cleveland chapter is committed to broadening our work of welcoming and amplifying diverse voices in our industry. For example, our chapter has committed to increasing diverse representation in our programming of topics and speakers, engaging, and developing relationships with diverse community organizations, and providing scholarships to communications students who identify as a member of underserved minority communities.
Please check out the helpful information in the toolkit and the diverse dialogues to use in your professional and personal development as we head into a new year (I can’t believe we’re almost at 2024!). If you haven't already done so, check out APR, Melissa Vela-Williamson's conversation with Jose Luis Dieppa, former journalist, now the external communications manager for AdventHealth in Orlando, Florida on Why You Need to Include Spanish Media in Your Outreach. And finally, be sure to view Diverse Dialogues on "What's DEI Got to Do With Me?" If you've ever needed a reason to know why diversity matters, be sure to check out this conversation with Marsha R. Pitts-Phillips, APR Minnesota chapter and William Patrick McSweeney, APR Fellow PRSA, co-chair of PRSA's Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee and chair for PRSA's Midwest District.
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