‘30 Days of Action: A Reflection from Highwire PR’
Ayanna Anderson is the Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Highwire PR.
Within days of joining Highwire PR as the head of Diversity, Belonging and Inclusion in late November, I became familiar with the Diversity Action Alliance’s (DAA) #30DaysofACTion campaign. Thankfully - DAA is an organization that was already on my radar. Highwire signed the DAA pledge before my arrival, and started sending information during my interview process. As an African American female practitioner who left the PR industry more than a decade ago feeling frustrated and dismayed by lack of diversity, mentorship, and support, I was thrilled to learn that the industry was (at last!) taking significant steps on behalf of the next generation of diverse PR professionals. I felt incredibly proud that my Highwire colleagues, along with hundreds of other agencies/industry partners, signed a pledge to foster accountability and transparency in a collective quest to transform the PR industry through shared best practices for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Throughout the month of December, the Highwire team made significant progress in a number of the key focus areas outlined in the #30DaysofACTion plan: culture, recruitment, partnership, development and retention. Two of the more significant examples of our action include a panel discussion for the students enrolled in COOP Careers, a non-profit that Highwire supports pro bono that is focused on closing the “network gap” for Black and LatinX first-generation college graduates, and a month-long holiday campaign designed to bring us together through education and celebration.
I felt so blessed to link arms with my new Highwire colleagues for a lively career panel discussion with students enrolled in the New York cohort of COOP Careers. COOP Careers focuses on the importance of social capital, and I saw an opportunity to give voice to the reckoning that the PR industry is wrestling with in terms of diversifying its workforce. I pointed out that the very reason that we need more agency leaders from historically underrepresented communities is that we possess the requisite social and cultural capital needed to cultivate inclusion and belonging at every level.
In tandem with our external engagement efforts, Highwire’s Diversity Inclusion and Belonging (DIBs) Council led a number of internal initiatives celebrating our diverse holiday traditions. Our #HolidaysontheWire Slack channel served as a fantastic repository of personal reflections, dynamic content, and shared learnings about Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Nochebuena. We also raffled off a lunch gift certificate to a Black-owned restaurant in the Bay Area, as part of the agency’s ongoing commitment to support BIPOC people and causes. In preparation for our company holiday party, we compiled a playlist with music selections from artists who represent the full spectrum of diversity at Highwire. We received very positive feedback as to how these actions helped members of our team feel seen, valued and heard.
The #30DaysofACTion blueprint served as a tremendous resource throughout our December journey. I relished the moments when our diversity, inclusion and belonging efforts serendipitously aligned with key DAA recommendations. I appreciated how the time parameters of this initiative sparked mindfulness as far as finding any and all opportunities to manifest DIBs best practices. Best of all, this campaign allowed me the opportunity to chronicle our progress through social media, which garnered favorable support and helpful suggestions from our external stakeholders. I have every confidence that our DAA partnership will continue to yield positive outcomes and continued innovation.