To Become a Black Leader in the Communications Profession, ‘Own Who You Are’

For Black PR professionals, “There’s no shortage of challenges,” Sabrina N. Browne said. “We are overcoming microaggression, bias, assimilation.”

Browne, who co-chairs PRSA’s Black Voices Affinity Group with Thomas Bennett III, hosted a Diverse Dialogues livestream on Feb. 12 to coincide with Black History Month. For the session titled “Unlocking the C-Suite,” she asked a panel of Black communications leaders about their career challenges and successes.

The journey to the C-suite

Reaching the C-suite “is a journey, and people should recognize that and be willing to put in the work,” Helen Shelton said. Now global chief diversity officer at Finn Partners, she was the first executive vice president in her division at its predecessor firm, Ruder Finn.

“That also made me the first and the only African American, and also the youngest,” Shelton recalled. “It was not easy, being the only person of color in that division, but you have to hang in there, do the work and use your platform to make a difference.”

As for challenges, “I see my Blackness as a great value,” Shelton said. “I’m always prepared. So, I have nothing to feel bad about when I’m the only Black person in the room. Black excellence is understanding our value, being proud of who we are and bringing that to the table. We have the power to transform and even save lives through DEI initiatives and campaigns and strategies. We have to stay the course.”

Panelist Torod Neptune recommends knowing your own capabilities and “not allowing someone else to put you in a box. And that requires making tough decisions about what you’ll stand for and knowing when to say, ‘This is not the place for me.’”

Neptune, senior vice president and chief communications officer at medical technology company Medtronic, said that, “Adapting to an organization is wholly acceptable. But disavowing ourselves of a need to assimilate culturally and otherwise is something I wish I had learned earlier in my career. My organization will be more brown with each passing day because that is my commitment.”

Panelist Mira Lowe is dean of the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. Rising to the C-suite as a Black communications professional requires “standing in our power and understanding that perseverance is part of our DNA, part of our history as Black folks. Knowing that you come from greatness, from resilience, powers you through the darkest times in your journey.

“Right now, our stories matter, our voices matter and we have to be confident,” Lowe said. “There are efforts to minimize or even erase our history, right? We have to pick up that mantle and make sure that that doesn’t happen. We come from a legacy of storytellers, of truth-tellers. We have to make sure that our stories stay in the forefront of history.”

The power of self-advocacy

Bria Bryant, global chief marketing officer at marketing services company Assembly Global, said that to reach the C-suite, “What worked for me was advocating for myself and unapologetically celebrating my wins internally. It’s how I got to where I am. There is no shame in my game.”

In her communications career, Bryant is challenged by “being the only Black person in the room when issues affecting Black people arise,” she said. “I am black, blackity, black, black, black. But I am not the voice of all Black people. So I tell [colleagues]: Educate yourself, talk to your Black employees, take courses, read. And I’ve made sure that I [am] always hiring more Black people.”

Panelist Kim Godwin, former president of ABC News, now retired, said, “Black joy is great joy. Being Black is a superpower, so own that superpower. We come from such a brilliant people. I can own this moment in history, no matter how tough it is. I can do that because of my history, my ancestors.

“When you are in those difficult situations and walk into a room,” Godwin said, “you immediately notice that you’re different. And you get distracted. You have to get past that. Own who you are.”

You can watch the entire session here:

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