Hello--The Real World Isn't Easy.

I have preached about the importance of diversity in PR, but after a real time internship in the big Apple, my world has been rocked (or shaken) a little bit.

I know that people think that I have a naive notion of diversity existing in the world (not just in PR), but this is what I believed. However, for a brief 2 months, I have been thrown into the depths of business and its heart--money.

I have always heard individuals tell me that diversity exists when clients ask for diverse people, but in all honesty, I thought this was bullocks. I thought that diversity needed to occur from the inside in--as if we needed to be the change. It frustrated me when people didn't see it like I did--success=diversity.

Well, shucks--I may have been too young to grasp what everyone was saying.

In my perfect world, I was encircled by the world of academia (which I love) and learned theories about what makes good PR and I assumed that this was that. I assumed that everyone knew that logic stood in the side of diversity, but academia, in all its glory, isn't real life.

Business is about profit.

I guess I have been dealing with this issue for a rather long time now because if PR was about profit, then my point was mute. So I have been rather silent for a long period of time, but after rethinking, I came up with a new "enlightened" point of view.

It needs to start with teachers. (don't even roll the eyes)

Teachers, like many of my Grady professors, teach me in a way that I am confident in my abilities. They push me to want more than what I have. How does this relate to diversity?

Simple--empower diversity through students. The most succesful people I know are smart. They are smart because of their teachers and the encouragement they felt. Cliched? I know, but there is always truth in a cliche.

I am starting to see increasing numbers of minorities entering PR--now that they are choosing the major, the skills need to follow.

So, what can you do? Mentor, teach, and be a support. It doesn't matter if you are still college (there is still someone that needs help) and it doesn't matter if you are a CEO (you still need to learn from younger people)--be cognizant of your role in the bigger picture.

Business is driven by profit--we can make diversity profitable if we support the professionals below and above us. It isn't a game to get to the top--it's making our industry better by doing something now.

So, students--
1. Find a mentor.

And, proffesionals & teachers--
1. Find a mentee

You can't surf unless someone teaches you. And you won't get better until you teach.



http://diversifiedpr.blogspot.com/