600 & Rising

The PR industry has a diversity problem, and Observer’s annual lists are a stark reminder of how much work still needs to be done. Two years ago, Hold The PRess called attention to the lack of diversity and representation in Observer's annual PR lists. We find ourselves in 2024, once again disappointed by the glaring underrepresentation of Black talent and Black-led agencies in their latest PR Power list. When all of our work isn't celebrated and amplified, the systems of oppression continue to thrive. A united front is the only way we can create real change. In continuation of our long-standing commitment to advocacy and diversity, we're proud to stand with our colleagues in calling for meaningful change and greater representation of Black talent and Black-led agencies. If you believe in the importance of diversity and inclusion in our industry, please consider adding your name to this open letter. Together, we can make a difference. Read the letter and sign via https://lnkd.in/gDJCu5-Y #PRDiversity #HoldThePRess

The PR industry has a diversity problem, and Observer annual lists are a stark reminder of how much work still needs to be done. Two years ago, Hold the PRess called attention to the lack of diversity and representation in Observer's annual PR lists. We find ourselves in 2024, once again disappointed by the glaring underrepresentation of Black talent and Black-led agencies in their latest PR Power list. When all of our work isn't celebrated and amplified, the systems of oppression continue to thrive. A united front is the only way we can create real change. In continuation of our long-standing commitment to advocacy and diversity, we're proud to stand with our colleagues in calling for meaningful change and greater representation of Black talent and Black-led agencies. If you believe in the importance of diversity and inclusion in our industry, please consider adding your name to this open letter. Together, we can make a difference. Read the letter and sign via https://lnkd.in/ehW_648T

🤯 Thank you Ad Age for sharing your platform 📣 DEI is not dead — believe 20 years of data not billionaires fighting in social media or anti-woke CEOs. And if you’re an advocate, activist, or ally, progress is promisingly spotty but not sticky. Let’s celebrate briefly and then keep pushin’ 💯 In this article, I unlock the playbook that got us here and challenges in making progress permanent. Tomorrow, read part two that helps leaders confront and create a new relationship with failure through advice from Amy Edmondson (Harvard Business School), a guest on #SystemOverload video series. s/o James Flachsenhaar, Jeanine Poggi, Patricia Gatling, Rashad Robinson, Color Of Change, Bennett D. Bennett, 600 & Rising, Pam Yang, Agency DEI, Fahad Khawaja, Hue, Nate Nichols, Allyship & Action , Walter T Geer III, Lola Bakare, Monique Nelson, Judy Jackson, Cannes Can: Diversity Collective, Adrianne C. Smith, & so many more 🙌🏽 — Excerpt: “Last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released industry employment data for 2023, and ‘advertising, public relations, and related services’ had a shake-up: The Black workforce reached a 20-year high of 11.2%, while all other ethnic groups fared significantly better than in 2002 when the BLS started the tracker. These gains are the result of three factors: public oversight, public pressure and change management. … For continued progress, DE&I should die as a dependent function of human resources departments so it can live as a growth imperative under change management to future-proof an organization.  When DE&I is a function of change management—a systematic approach to dealing with the transformation of an organization's goals, processes or technologies—it can be redefined an economic and cultural necessity rather than a humanitarian one that requires consensus on values, morality and ethics.  There is no finish line for DE&I—it needs to change as people change—because population demographics, cultural expression, meaning-making and sustainable preservation are all ever-evolving. “ Keep reading to get all the data: https://lnkd.in/eimycKD2 #blackhistorymonth #marketing #advertising #future #humanresources #dei