Year 2020 has seen numerous tragedies and catastrophes, and although they may have caught many off guard, they are hardly the first of their kind. Americans, hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, had little if any time to rest before the callous murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and other African Americans sent the nation into a state of panic, disgust, and shock, triggering the largest global protest movement in history. Rather than debating between “Black Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter” and mourning the businesses and buildings — inanimate objects — that were looted and destroyed during some of the protests, let’s focus on the problem at hand — the reason for all of the unrest: police brutality and the racial inequalities that continue to perpetuate a complete disregard for Black lives. While we as communicators examine these age-old issues, let’s also assess what changes we can make to widen the net of diversity and inclusion in our world and bring reform to very broken systems and behaviors.

Around the world, protests have been and are being held in pursuit of systematic changes to policing in the U.S. and an end to police violence. A brief scroll through social media, or my email inbox, yields dozens of posts, announcements, and statements from companies and organizations that are sharing the impact that the Black Lives Matter movement and other related movements have had on employees, friends, family, and the nation at large. Much of the U.S. and other countries seem to be unified in the belief that what is happening to Black people today, due to systemic racism that has for years plagued people of color, is unjust, unlawful, and exemplifies a complete disregard for Black lives. They’ve unified on all of this from their separate offices all around the world; people like you and me who want to be communicators and stand for something have unified and shared their organizations’ and clients’ perspectives on these issues.

As public relations and communications professionals, we have the opportunity and a platform to ensure ethical and moral soundness in the messages we, our clients, and our organizations spread. During this time, I have taken a hard look at the work I am doing and have examined how I could be lending my PR skills and abilities to the very important issues of police brutality and racial inequality Black people continue to face today. My focus has been on the messages my department delivers and the methods by which we are delivering our messages. I’ve had the privilege of working with some faculty in my department to conduct research and prepare statements and information that position the Wayne State University African American Studies Department as a trusted, dedicated, and very critical resource for learning and disseminating how police brutality and racial inequality affect Black people and Black communities. I recently issued a statement from our office to inform the campus and external audiences of my department’s stance on policing in the U.S. and what reforms are needed to bring an end to the racial injustice faced by Black people in America. This gave my department the ability to communicate our mission and values and positioned us as thought leaders and experts on the subject. I further exercised my PR skills and abilities by pitching our statement to the creators of WSU’s Today@Wayne and Get Involved e-newsletters. In my email to both creators, I explained why the statement was relevant to their audiences and the impact the statement could have during this time of pain and revolt. As a result, the statement was featured in the June 17, 2020, issue of Today@Wayne and has been scheduled to feature in the June 21, 2020, issue of Get Involved.

Important things to remember as we early PR professionals branch into the communications world regard the change we want to see in society and our willingness to enact it. So, ponder these questions before you begin what could be a very impactful career in public relations:

• What kind of organization are you working for? What is its mission and vision and what does it value? Is this organization actively displaying and enforcing the values it stands for?
• How has your organization inspired change in the past? Has the organization proven itself capable of achieving goals and “staying the course”?
• What are your values? Have you established ethical and moral practices that could further the trust and impact of an organization? Do your morals and values align with those of the organization? Do you need to reevaluate your moral and ethical code?
• What change are you wishing to see? Do you have a sense of right and wrong? If so, what are you prepared to do to ensure the company or client you represent is aligned with these beliefs?
• What resources can you call upon to help align yourself or your organization with what is morally and ethically sound? How can you convey to your audiences that your morals and ethics are firm and will be 100% enforced?

The most important job of a communicator during this time is to listen, not speak. Some other things, not involving writing messages, that public relations professionals and communications leaders might consider as they help others learn from, heal from, and understand these issues are setting up dialogues and scheduling talks with African American studies thought leaders; providing employees, students, and their communities with a platform to speak and opportunities to help make change; keeping knowledgeable and up-to-speed on these events and their effect on the community; and educating clients, audiences, and strangers about these events and their origin.

That’s right. PR professionals have the unique ability to inspire and educate without having to write or say a word. Often, ignorance, misinformation, and a lack of exposure to different cultures and issues is the root cause of racism, scrutiny, and unjust bias. Being a resource to the community is perhaps the most important thing PR and communications professionals can do to spark the change they want to see in the world. Overall, public relations and communications professionals must be ready to support efforts that lend positively to this cause and condemn any efforts that worsen the issues. Simply raising your voice or hand can assist in developing the work culture and society that future communicators will someday work in.

Header photo courtesy of YouTube.com “Police Brutality and Racism in America.”