Much work still needs to be done in the PR industry to make it more diverse and inclusive.  

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the ethnic makeup of the PR industry in the U.S. is 87.9% white, 8.3% African American, 2.6% Asian American, and 5.7% Hispanic American. However, in 2045, it’s estimated that whites will comprise 49.7 percent of the population in contrast to 24.6 percent for Hispanics, 13.1 percent for blacks, 7.9 percent for Asians, and 3.8 percent for multiracial populations (PRSA Foundation brief).

The lack of diversity and inclusivity is further reinforced by research conducted by Angela Chitkara, a PR track director at the City College of New York, who interviewed 18 CEOs from the top 100 global PR agencies, concluded that there was zero agreement on the definition of diversity and inclusion. The ethnic makeup of the CEOS who were interviewed? Seventeen were white, one was Latino, 13 of the CEOs were men, and five were women.  

On the other hand, 47% of Millennials believe that diversity and inclusion is an important factor when searching for jobs, according to a study conducted by the Institute for Public Relations and Weber Shandwick.

Given these reports, as well as what each of us sees on a day to day basis, the question begs, “How do we as a PR community make the industry more diverse and inclusive?” 

Join us on Wednesday, April 3 at noon PT when three PRSA Chapters — San Francisco Bay Area, California Capital, and the Sierra Nevada - come together to produce the Google Hangout “How to Grow a More Diverse and Inclusive PR Workforce.” In this event, attendees will learn:

• Tips for addressing the lack of diversity and inclusion in the PR industry
• Steps to improve diversity and inclusion efforts in talent acquisition
• Strategies to create a more diverse and inclusive team culture
• Tools for nurturing a diverse workforce and supporting professional growth

Our featured speakers will include Carolina Martinez, Recruitment and Marketing Manager and Co-chair of the Recruitment Diversity Committee, University of Nevada, Reno; Kyla Aquino Irving, Communications & Marketing Manager at California Foundation for Independent Living Centers; Anthony Harrison, Director of Corporate Media Relations, Facebook; and the moderator will be Y’Anad Burrell, Founder & CEO, Glass House Communications; Member, PRSA National Diversity & Inclusion Committee; Former President, PRSA San Francisco Bay Area Chapter; 2019 At-Large Board Member, PRSA San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. 

To register for the event, click here. Here is the link for the Google Hangout. The hashtag for the event will be #PRDiversity.