Member Monday Recap: PRSA Reinforces Its Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Faced with mounting political and legal pressure, many companies have rolled back their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in recent months, eliminating programs and goals related to employee and leadership representation metrics.

On Jan. 21, President Trump signed a sweeping executive order putting a stop to DEI programs and policies across the U.S. government.

Meanwhile, some companies — most notably Costco and Apple, among others — have stood firm in their support for DEI.

And how about at PRSA?

“We want the world to know that we are doubling down on DEI,” said Ray Day, APR, PRSA’s 2025 chair. “In 2025, we are going to be even more aggressive about DEI. There is a massive communications opportunity to help people understand the value of DEI.”

Day made his remarks during PRSA’s Member Mondays livestream on Feb. 10. Held the second Monday of every month, the new feature is available to PRSA members and non-members and focuses on topics of interest to the communications profession. (There is another session on the fourth Monday of every month for PRSA leaders at Chapters, Districts and Sections, focusing on best-practice sharing and progress on PRSA’s Strategic Plan. Find more information at this link.)

The Feb. 10 Member Monday coincided with the publication of an open letter that PRSA shared, stating its position on DEI.

According to the letter, signed by Day and the PRSA DEI Executive Committee:

At the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is unwavering. In recent years, DEI initiatives have become vastly criticized and often weaponized, leading to confusion among the general public. This has resulted in companies and organizations reconsidering or even retreating from their commitments due to shifting political and social pressures. Despite these challenges, PRSA remains steadfast in our belief that DEI is not a passing trend — it is fundamental to the future of public relations, business and society.

Today, we want to address a question we’ve heard from many PRSA members: “What does diversity, equity and inclusion mean to PRSA in the current landscape?” The answer is simple — DEI is who we are, and it is core to the values of PRSA.

John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, joined the session and shared recent research, including a report titled “The DEI Pushback: How Politics Hides Reality.”

“It’s no secret that there is a tremendous amount of pushback against DEI,” he said. “In recent years, mentions of DEI on corporate earnings calls are down by 80%, felled by political attacks.”

However, according to Harris Poll surveys, 56% of employees think DEI helps address systemic inequalities, a number that drops to 46% among Gen X and baby boomer respondents.

Some 57% of respondents say DEI has had no impact on their career, while 27% say it has benefited their career and 16% say DEI has hindered their career, Gerzema said. Less educated people who earn below $100,000 a year are more likely to say that DEI has not benefited them, he said of the Harris Poll/Axios Vibes survey.

“A small fraction of Americans are criticizing DEI,” Gerzema said, but “most people support it. Racial diversity in the workforce makes a stronger, more innovative company.”

Three members of PRSA’s DEI Committee joined Gerzema: Kristelle Siarza Moon, MBA, APR, Marsha Pitts-Phillips, APR, and Stephen Chavez. The three discussed available DEI resources on the PRSA website, including educational opportunities such as the Diverse Dialogues series, and the 2025 debut of the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Affinity Group.

“People who are against DEI are somewhat confused,” Day said. “They don’t really understand the term. There is an educational and communications opportunity going forward. This is PRSA at its best.”

Watch a replay of the Feb. 10 Member Monday here.

Illustration credit: bxtr

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