Lessons From Bringing Diverse Voices Into the Classroom
By David W. Brown and Teri Del Rosso, Ph.D.
January 2023
It’s been said that a crisis doesn’t form character, but reveals it. For many of us, the last three years of a global pandemic — coupled with an ongoing racial reckoning — have been a crucible from which our characters have emerged glowing for all to see.
For Black PR practitioners, the last few years have been especially challenging. They’ve had to navigate health disparities that caused Black communities to suffer greater loss than any other from COVID. At the same time, they’ve had to overcome the emotional and physical stress caused by George Floyd’s murder in May 2020.
Despite these conditions, Black practitioners have brought their lived experiences into PR classrooms throughout the country, sharing their perspectives with aspiring professionals.
How can PR professors better support guest speakers as a form of activist teaching? As researchers in media and communication at Temple University and the University of Memphis, we were determined to explore these questions.
Members-Only Content
This article is exclusive to PRSA members. Please sign in to continue reading.
Not a member?
Join PRSA to read more articles like this and to advance your communications career.
Print subscriptions to Strategies & Tactics are available for nonmembers.
David W. Brown
David W. Brown is associate professor of instruction and diversity advisor to the Office of the Dean at the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University in Philadelphia. Reach him by email at davidwbrown@Temple.edu or on Twitter @revdavidwbrown.
Teri Del Rosso, Ph.D.
Teri Del Rosso, Ph.D., works as Research & Communications Strategist for the public relations and marketing firm KQ Communications in Memphis, TN. Before moving into industry, she had been a professor at the University of Memphis and at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. Reach her at teri@kqcommunications.com
