Articles

Learning Black History Year Round

By Melissa May, APR
Chapter Ethics Chair

Born very Euro-white in a small Pennsylvania town, my schools rarely included students of color. Since then, having lived in eight states, and having traveled to 50 states and 43 countries, I’ve learned about a wide array of people and cultures. I’ve been embraced, ignored, and disdained. While working in Africa for HIV-prevention programs, I often wished I could shed my skin for a while, so I wasn’t seen as an outsider.  

During the past year, I’ve become even more aware that my understanding of the experience of African Americans in this country differs greatly from my own.

In the Living in My Skin documentary which aired on KLRN, Black San Antonio men and boys discuss their experiences. It’s one of nearly 40 programs on Black history, culture and racial disparity airing on PBS this month. Other area media outlets presented tremendous programming on related topics in February…and, thankfully, year round. 

It feels to me that we’re experiencing a sort of cultural enlightening, likely brought on by a range of disheartening—and often appalling—events. It’s gratifying to see companies responding to people’s need to learn and grow.  

PRSA members know that Diversity & Inclusiveness and Ethics are closely aligned. On the PRSA email lists for both disciplines, I read about best practices and watch webinars on both topics. Among the many benefits of PRSA membership, these resources help us all become more aware of issues related to the perspectives of folks whose experiences, and sometimes values, differ from our own.

The ubiquitous ethical questions

I’ve been in discussions with the management team of a professional athlete who wants to encourage COVID testing and vaccines. During a recent call, one advisor said we should stay away from that topic, since COVID is so political. We discussed the illness and death toll; the fact that people of color have been disproportionately impacted by the virus, while being under-represented in the number of those vaccinated. Our discussion came down to the most compelling factor: let’s put politics aside and choose to do the right thing. 

Time and time again making ethical decisions is driven by doing the right thing. 

February should not be the only month we rededicate ourselves to learning more about D&I. We should be on this journey year round, so we can make excellent, informed, and ethical decisions for our organizations.  

Learning Resources

PRSA has many D&I resources on its website that you can find here. KLRN also has a many items to give you a different perspective. Check out its Programs & Educator Resources.