The events of the past few weeks are unimaginable, but they happened. It began on Memorial Day with an unthinkable act: A 46-year-old black man – a father, a son, a brother, a friend -- murdered as he pleaded for his life and called for his mother while slowly dying under the foot of a white police officer, while two other officers helped pin him down and a fourth one held back witnesses who begged to render aid.
The next day, protests were organized in Minneapolis. Within two days, protests had been mobilized in many cities across the country and around the world.
There is a revolution taking place in America and that revolution IS being televised. We are witnessing the beginning of a movement, a tipping point.
As a black mother of a black child, I can only imagine the pain of Mr. Floyd’s family and the families of far too many other black people who have died by police violence.
I thought I had forgiven America for its sins. I realized that I have not.
Yet, as I look at the protests, the anger, the passion, and the tears of those marching in the streets with my professional PR practitioner lens, I am reminded that one of the most important core values of the public relations profession is advocacy: “We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts, and viewpoints to aid informed public debate.”
For those of us who are practicing PR professionals, this is the perfect time to put our values to the test. As my grandmother used to say, “You either stand for something or you fall for anything.” After much reflection, I’ve arrived at a few practical steps that my public relations colleagues can take to help move our nation and our communities forward.
Speak Up
Collaborate with your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion colleagues to encourage your CEO to author a statement opposing the racism, injustice and violence taking place in our country today. Share this with an internal audience first, and then adapt it for external stakeholders. Internally, this correspondence should include a call to action for employees to take a stand to educate themselves, challenge bias and racism, and organize/attend a virtual “Inclusion Circle” to share openly. The letter to the editor or op-ed should inviteother business and community leaders to join your CEO in speaking up against racism today and building relationships across color lines.
Collaborate and Build Your Organization’s Community Currency
Work with local organizations to host virtual conversations about issues of race, diversity, and inclusion, and provide resources.Having your organization recognized for leading local efforts or playing a major role in starting and continuing the conversation is a win-win for all involved.
Educate
Our internal and external stakeholders are eager to be part of the solution. Our organizations also have the capacity to sponsor virtual training sessionson diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as advocacy. Leading these efforts positions your organization as an engaged community resource and provides an outlet for those who want to act responsibly.
Create New Narratives
Life as we know it has changed. If we are truly committed to having a more just nation, we must be the change we are seeking. We must aggressively develop and share blog posts, stories and resources that reject false narratives such as “racism does not exist,” “all law enforcement is bad,” or there is no hope for us or our country.
Lead
In times of uncertainty and discomfort, leadership is required more than ever. As PR professionals, we spend our days using strategic communications to help influence behavior of various audiences. To accomplish this for our organizations requires leadership. Against the backdrop of recent events, our ability to lead, to educate, to inform and to engage internal and external audiences in honest and authentic dialogue is critical. In our organizations, we are called upon to help our leaders understand and embrace the “new normal,” which is unfolding right before our eyes.
I end as I began, with a challenge for us to be awakened and to work together to change America to live up to its highest ideal. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” I remain grateful, impressed, and optimistic by the actions of the young people I see who are being vocal about the changes that must take place. I challenge my PR colleagues to do what we do best: influence behavior, starting with our own.
LEADER IN STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT
Dr.Debra (Debi) A.Miller, an award-winning leader in strategic communications and public relations management, is the Director of Communications for Cone Health, the preeminent healthcare system in the Piedmont Triad section of North Carolina. Prior to joining Cone Health, she was the Chief Strategist at Global Communications Strategists inOak Creek,Wisconsin. Dr. Miller has achieved measurable results for Wisconsin’s largest healthcare system (Advocate Aurora Health Care), Quarles and Brady LLP, an Am Law 200 lawfirm with U.S. offices (domestic and international clients), federal and municipal agencies, several public and private universities, as well as employers and clients that represent and market some of the world’s best known brands (Bank of America, Capital One Financial Services, Walmart, Delta Airlines, Levi Strauss Canada, Time Warner Cable, AT&T, Astra Zeneca and Shell Oil.)
In 1997, Dr. Miller became President and CEO of PRSA, making her the first woman of color, the first African American to head the 30,000+ member organization. An author and highly sought national speaker, Debi received the Public Relations industry’s highest award, “The Gold Anvil,” from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) in 2006, in recognition of her career achievements and outstanding contributions to the profession.
Under her leadership, the Public Relations Society of America, Southeastern Wiscons in Chapter received the 2018 and 2019 National Diversity Award. In 2018, Dr. Miller received the prestigious Dorothy M. Black Award from the chapter for sustained, superior performance in public relations. In 2015, she led the team that won the Legal Marketing Association’s, First Place “Total Website” award. Dr. Miller was inducted into Hampton University's Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications (SHSJC) Hall of Fame in 2012, where she was recognized for her outstanding professional accomplishments and servant leadership.
Dr. Miller is a graduate of Hampton University (B.A.), the Ohio State University (M.A.) and Florida International University (Ed.D.). She is a member the Public Relations society of America, International Association of Business Communicators, the Law Firm Marketing Association. She has served on several civic and hospital boards and belongs to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee, Professional Dimensions,and several national public service organizations