Members of the Southeastern Wisconsin chapter of PRSA will have the chance to vote at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, December 14 at PR Palooza, for its slate of officer’s proposed for 2023.

The nominating committee puts forth the following individuals to serve in leadership positions for the coming year:

President: Angela Hersil

Past President/Paragons Chair: Dave Racine

Treasurer/President-Elect: Jackie Gozdowiak

Secretary: Amy Freeze

Membership: Kaitlyn Backe

Marketing: Brian Knox

Palooza: Marlaina Quintana

Midwest District: Josh Anderson

Ethics/APR: Ann Knabe & Michael Pflughoeft

Director at Large: Rachael Glaszcz

Assembly Delegate: Tammy Belton-Davis

PRSSA Liaison: Heidi Fendos

It’s been more than a year since renewed calls for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) reached new heights in the United States. You changed your profile picture to a black square on social media. You joined a Black Lives Matter march. You bought a t-shirt proudly proclaiming #StopAsianHate. You shopped at several local diverse-owned businesses. Those were great starts. Now, how have you taken your allyship further?

Approach your allyship check-in as an annual performance review. Celebrate your accomplishments. Acknowledge your areas of opportunity. And make a plan for continued growth.

The Allyship Approach

Let’s begin with a look at your DEI approach. When Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate became more mainstream, many of us in diverse groups wondered how long that mainstream interest would last. As an ally, make it clear in your words and your actions that you are here to stay. You’re not in a temporary state of waking, but you are truly and permanently “woke.”

Your education is not the responsibility of the group you seek to support. Though conversations with diverse groups and thoughtful questions within those discussions will provide important information, the diverse individual standing before you is not your personal tutor. Research the history of various groups both nationally and internationally to provide a foundational knowledge. Then dive into commentary with articles from reputable subject matter experts as well as social media groups that give a respectful platform for diverse experiences and perspectives.

Show up as an ally from a place of authenticity. Accept and admit what you do not know. Especially if you have enjoyed certain privileges based on your skin color or socioeconomic status, certain experiences and considerations may not be automatically apparent to you. Be respectful yet authentic in your response leading with curiosity and a desire to understand and empathize.

Oftentimes, when we feel passionately about an initiative and have a strong desire to help, we have the urge to take over. Remember that your role as an ally is to support, not speak for or over any group. Listen more than speak, providing input and raising your hand to back efforts.

Ally Engagement and Support

One of the most important parts of this renewed push for diversity, equity, and inclusion is to keep the conversations going. Your diverse friends and colleagues received a bombardment of supportive texts, emails, and IMs at the start of this DEI refresh, and many of us have not been spoken to about DEI since. Continue the dialogue, checking in and seeing how you can help.

Saying the wrong thing is inevitable. All of us have done it and will continue to for as long as we are able to talk. But a wording mistake should not be a reason to cease all communications. Allies should accept the correction, apologize, and learn the lesson. That sets the stage for better conversations in the future and builds a trusting and honest relationship.

Those of us in diverse groups have shared an instance of racism or prejudice, only to immediately be shut down or for the instance to be explained away. Rather than a knee-jerk reaction to defend or excuse the behavior, listen, and consider that the situation deserves a deeper look. Ask thoughtful questions, understand the perspective, and follow up to ensure the behavior is addressed and corrected.

Remember that despite a renewed focus on DEI efforts, workplaces especially still have a long way to go. Diverse individuals continue to be underpaid and undervalued by employers. In some cases, diverse individuals are seeing their work go unnoticed or credited to another person. Recognize the work of your diverse colleagues regularly and publicly. Use your voice as an ally to give them a voice when they are not being heard. When your coworkers are quick to dismiss a perspective or idea from a diverse individual, interject with a request to hear out the issue raised. Add diverse vendors, suppliers, and community partners to your list of go-to office needs. Continue requesting and even facilitating DEI trainings and activities.

As trite as it may sound, DEI is not a destination but a journey. Like any trip, you are constantly pausing, reassessing, and determining your next move. Checking in with your DEI efforts and especially your allyship will put you on the path to a moral merit increase in no time. Keep up the great work!

Lindsey M. McKee
Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair
PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter

Communications Manager
VISIT Milwaukee

The Public Relations Society of America Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter (PRSA SE WI) is excited to share a series of blog posts from its Diversity & Inclusion Committee. This blog series features stories about how diverse communities have experienced and responded to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the inclusive communications efforts they employed.

The novel coronavirus pandemic has flipped paradigms on much of modern society. For faith-based communities, the pandemic has shaken individuals and organizations to their core. Public religious services, rites, and activities in various places of worship ceased. Events celebrating holy observances such as Easter, Passover, and Ramadan were cancelled. Not to mention the weddings, baptisms, funerals, and many more practices disrupted.

In Southeastern Wisconsin, many spiritual groups and organizations have found incredible ways to reach out to parishioners as well as give back to communities in need. These are just a few stories from those diverse faith-based communities.

Making Their Online Presence Known

One of the more visible local initiatives has been The Catholic Comeback by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Masses have been locally televised and streamed from the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, recently allowing a very limited number of in-person guests. Those masses are archived on The Catholic Comeback webpage, adding to the online spiritual repository that includes devotions, reflections, and guides on returning to mass. Several pieces of content are also provided in Spanish. Site visitors may also donate to the Archdiocese’s Coronavirus Emergency Fund to help communities in need during the pandemic.

The Milwaukee Shambhala Center closed its doors as COVID-19 spread, but its Shambhala Buddhism teachings remain open through its robust online offerings. Meditation sessions, courses, trainings, and open houses occur virtually. The center even provides virtual Café Shambhala on Saturday mornings that include group meditation, a reading, and group discussion. Following recent instances of police brutality and racism, the center gave words of encouragement on its website to the Black community and has an online Racial Justice Group Meeting every second Sunday.

Bringing the Spirit to Social Media

Christ The King Baptist Church in Milwaukee has used its Facebook page to keep in contact with its congregation and share vital information. Church services are streamed live and posted for worshippers every Sunday, and posts share when take-home communion sets are available through its socially distant drive-thru. Church leaders share bible passages, prayer calls, and praise dances on the Facebook group in addition to non-spiritual information such as COVID-19 infographics, voting site guidance, job postings, and congratulatory messages to the congregation’s 2020 college and high school graduates.

The church has also found ways to mark special days and anniversaries using the social media platform. Throughout the month of June, Christ The King’s Youth Ministry presented prayer vigils, movie nights, and snack deliveries. A Youth Day post on Facebook featured submitted video from young church members in their homes and an on-screen message from its youth director. Celebration of Christ the King Baptist Church’s 35th annual Founder’s Day came to Facebook as well. Church leaders tuned in virtually from each of their homes to share stories of the church’s founding and continued growth in a posted video.

Continuing to Serve the Community

The Milwaukee Jewish Federation has been part of the city for more than a century, and that community participation has not been slowed by the pandemic. One look at the federation’s Jewish Community COVID-19 Resources page demonstrates its continued service. A searchable directory allows worshipers to find Milwaukee area synagogues that are Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Reform, and unaffiliated. In addition to virtual spiritual education and Shabbat services, site visitors may enjoy online social gatherings as well as virtual exhibits from Jewish Museum Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Jewish Federation also provides information for those who need assistance with rent/mortgage, food, mental health, kids wellness, and much more.

The Muslim community in Milwaukee has nine Mosques, the largest being the Islamic Society of Milwaukee (ISM). ISM’s mission is to “serve all of God’s creation with mercy, justice and respect for human dignity,” and that service continues through these difficult times. During the pandemic, ISM raised tens of thousands of dollars from its members to assist those suffering financially. The ISM also provided free lunches to hundreds of children every day with the Salam School drive-thru lunch program, that serves all faiths.

Business members of the Muslim community also found ways to assist. Hayat Pharmacy distributed 3,200 free masks and gloves in early April and Aladdin’s MKE provided regular breakfast and lunches to health care workers at various medical campuses. Hanan Refugee Group assisted refugee families who lost their jobs and many of the area’s Muslim-owned restaurants offered free meals. The Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition – which operates Our Peaceful Home, a family strengthening program considered a vital service – remained open to assist individuals and families in distress, as well as offering webinars on self-care and stress relief.

Takeaways for Communicators

Though the pandemic has shaken us, it has not broken us. That unbreakable spirit can be seen by these and many other religious communities. A Pew Research study shows that one-quarter of U.S. adults say their religious faith has strengthened as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Americans in historically Black Protestant churches and those who describe themselves as very religious are particularly likely to say their faith has strengthened. How religious communities found ways to keep the faith during the pandemic offers a number of lessons for communicators.

Websites are a crucial part to any organization, and providing meaningful content and resources allows organizations yet another platform to stay in touch with audiences. A wealth of information is important, but communicators must ensure the information is clear and organized. Regular updating and pivoting to meet new demands will be necessary, especially in uncertain times, but the payoff will be meaningful connections with your audiences.

Nothing replaces in-person services and events. But using virtual platforms and social media allows for messages to be disseminated and fellowships to gather from a safe distance. And if you’re creative in those virtual offerings, your audience will feel just as, if not more, engaged with your communications.

Finally, while our heads may be spinning, our hearts remain in the right place. Organizations can take this opportunity to review and enhance their existing business social responsibility initiatives as well as offer new initiatives to meet the needs of those trying to live in this new world.

Lindsey McKee
D&I Committee Chair
PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin

Communications Manager
VISIT Milwaukee

Patrick McSweeney, APR, Fellow PRSA
Midwest District Liaison
PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin

Managing Director
McSweeney Public Relations

Janan Najeeb
D&I Committee Member
PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin

President
Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition

Jeff Jones
D&I Committee Member
PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin

Director of Marketing and Communications
Milwaukee Jewish Federation

The Public Relations Society of America Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter (PRSA SE WI) is excited to share a series of blog posts from its Diversity & Inclusion Committee. This blog series features stories about how diverse communities have experienced and responded to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the inclusive communications efforts they employed.

A pandemic is horrible for anyone, but imagine what the pandemic has been like for individuals not commonly considered during difficult times. The Latinx man watching COVID-19 ravage his community as well as his predominantly Black neighbors. The Asian individuals under attack by ignorance and prejudice due to their presumed links to the virus’s country of origin. The woman and her children forced to quarantine with her abusive husband. The blind man struggling to receive info on how to stay safe from infection. The hearing-impaired woman with coronavirus symptoms who cannot read the lips of her first responders behind their masks.

For many there is no need to imagine, because these scenarios are their reality. However, there are organizations using broader approaches, being more culturally aware, offering a better variety of options, and helping to ensure information as well as assistance reaches ALL people.

Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities

There is an old saying that states, “when America catches a cold, Black people catch the flu.” The sentiment being that what affects the majority of Americans, can have even harsher effects on Black communities. COVID-19 has made this sentiment an actuality with African American as well as Latinx communities disproportionately affected by the coronavirus. Out of the nearly 14,200 confirmed coronavirus cases in Milwaukee County as of July 13, Latinx and Black individuals had the most cases with nearly 4,800 and 4,100 cases respectively.

Further adding to the pandemic’s negative impact, Asian people have been the targets of hate crimes and discrimination due to COVID-19’s origins in Wuhan, China. Within less than three weeks of its launch, STOP AAPI HATE received more than 1,400 reports of coronavirus-related harassment against Asian Americans in 46 states.

Local organizations are looking to face those challenges with greater cultural awareness and community education:

• Ayuda Mutua MKE provides key pandemic information and assistance taking into consideration that its target community is primarily Spanish-speaking and may be hesitant to trust government agencies.
• You Matter is a social initiative working to ensure people of color are well-informed as well as hopeful in the face of this pandemic through targeted, culturally aware outreach and communications.
• Hmong American Friendship Association (HAFA) has been a beacon in Wisconsin, which has the nation’s third largest Hmong population. HAFA’s recent project filled a crucial pandemic information gap for a community whose unique culture and language is rarely considered in communications efforts.
• Milwaukee’s Equal Rights Commission added “COVID 19 Coronavirus Diagnosis” as an option on its Discrimination Complaint Form in addition to existing options due to race and several other protected classes.

When At-Home is Not Safer

COVID-19 Safer-at-Home orders have unintentionally led to increases in domestic violence nationally and locally. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the Milwaukee Police Department saw an 8 percent rise from last year in domestic violence reports between January 1 and April 1. In the first couple of weeks in April, MPD data shows the number of reports was 28 percent higher than April 2019.

Several local and international initiatives offer relief to individuals facing domestic violence:

• Our Peaceful Home is the first culturally specific domestic violence program for the Muslim community offering advice and resources. Some sessions are even provided in Arabic, Urdu, and Rohingya.
• SHOFAR is a Milwaukee Jewish Federation initiative addressing domestic violence as well as sexual harassment and child sexual abuse in the Milwaukee Jewish community with awareness, training, and resources.
• Unsafe at Home is a campaign launched by the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services that brings local agencies, institutions, and community members together to coordinate Milwaukee’s response to victims of abuse and neglect during the pandemic.
• Signal For Help was launched by the Canadian Women’s Foundation. It is a one-handed sign abuse victims can use to silently show people on a video call they need help and want someone to safely check in with them.

Making Information Truly Accessible

In some ways, individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing are well-suited to face the pandemic due to their existing reliance on technology such as videophones, texting, and emails for communication. However, the growth of online offerings without the accompanying accommodations for disabled individuals has been frustrating. The examples are endless. Websites containing videos without captions and/or descriptive text (alt-text). Online classes and video conferences that don’t consider navigation for screen readers nor do they offer the ability to pin an interpreter to a larger screen, among other accessibility considerations.

This is equally true for those reliant on visual communications. The inability to gather together in person and without a mask in order to fully view and appreciate the nuances of sign language and facial expressions has been extremely challenging.

Statewide and regionally, there are options for disabled people to receive and send important communications:

• IndependenceFirst’s Assistive Technology Services, Website Accessibility Resources, and Peer Support are just a few of the over 20 programs and services the organization offers to disabled persons.
• Great Lakes ADA Center provides a number of services and resources including technical support and archived website accessibility webinars.
• Vision Forward offers a range of education, training, and support programs for visually impaired individuals, such as low vision services and technology demonstrations.
• HEAR Wisconsin made and donated masks with a transparent mouth for first responders attending to hearing impaired individuals.

Takeaways for Communicators

Nationwide we’re facing compounding health, economic, and racial crises that are forcing us to look at how we operate as a society as well as identify areas for growth and change. The need for effective, intentional, and inclusive communications is critical, creating opportunities for PR practitioners to help organizations through these challenging times.

One word can transform the meaning of a message. One platform adjustment can expand your message’s reach. As you communicate personally and professionally, use person-centered language that makes allowances for varied audiences, keeping different biases and stigmas top of mind when writing and proofreading communications. And be mindful of the environment and experiences in which people will be receiving your communications. All of these factors can change how your messages are perceived and understood. Now is the time for more diverse and inclusive communications. We encourage you to be a part of the transformation.

Lindsey McKee
D&I Committee Chair
PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin

Communications Manager
VISIT Milwaukee

Katharine Foley
President
PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin

Senior Public Relations Advisor
Kane Communications Group

Heather Perkins
D&I Committee Member
PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin

Community Relations & Special Projects Director
Independence First

The past few months have been devastating to experience, especially for diverse communities. It began with a pandemic disproportionately affecting Black and Brown people as well as leading to hate crimes against Asian individuals.

Soon events turned from the pandemic of coronavirus to the sickness of racism against Black Americans.

• A Black jogger named Ahmaud Arbery finds himself framed in the windshield of armed racists.
• Police officers incorrectly raiding a home riddles an innocent Black woman, Breonna Taylor, with bullets.
• A White woman uses her privilege to falsely report that Christian Cooper, a Black man, is threatening her.
• Then the world watched a police officer hold his knee on a Black man’s neck until George Floyd’s death 8 minutes and 46 seconds later.

As I watch and read about these as well as several other cases, I begin to think of many whose stories are not known to the public. Including those of us unnamed Black people living – or at least trying to live – in a nation that has traditionally valued us as less than cattle and rarely as human beings.

Like most Black people, I’ve had my own experiences with racism and prejudice.

• The confederate flag that someone taped to my high school locker.
• A heckler who started calling me the n-word while I played in my college pep band.
• The White college student who asked me if I was lost when I entered one of my university’s buildings for class.
• A clerk who followed my mother and I around the gift shop of an art museum.
• Constant statements of how “articulate” or “well-spoken” I am from shocked White individuals.
• Promotions I’ve been denied because I was never as qualified as the White men and women with less experience than mine.

These are just the ones that immediately come to mind. Though none of them cost me my life, they have definitely cost me the security of knowing that I will be treated with respect, understanding, and equality.

2020 Vision

Earlier this year, I was appointed chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee for the Southeastern Wisconsin (SE WI) chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

I took the first half of 2020 to re-organize the committee, bringing in a greater diversity of individuals and organizations covering areas such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and disability. The goal being to give more people more seats at the table in our chapter’s efforts.

Next, I worked with this committee to identify a clearer diversity and inclusion vision. It is 2020 after all. That vision will guide us as we work to become better professionals, better allies, and better advocates. We have also begun work on revising our chapter website to not only house our D&I writings and events, but to also better reflect our diverse membership and communities we serve.

The pandemic has definitely slowed our plans. But the racial disparities and racist practices that have finally come to light remind us why we took on our roles in this committee and what we have to do to improve ourselves as well as our communities.

Looking and Walking Ahead

I’m encouraged by the most recent realizations of what it means to be Black in America and the subsequent actions that have taken place. I see more than just Black individuals crying “Black Lives Matter,” which means more allies and hopefully more mainstream change. I’m saddened that it took video evidence of a Black man dying at the knee of a police officer for more people to understand the struggles of Black and Brown individuals in our country. But I’m happy the knee Colin Kaepernick took is now making more sense.

As public relations practitioners and communicators, we often are the voices of our companies. Though voices are important right now, I’m more interested in feet. I want to see action and true change.

Think beyond skin color-appropriate bandages, removal of racist caricatures from pancake mix boxes, or capitalizing the word “Black” when referring to people (which many of us did anyway). Those are great steps but think broader. Like diversifying boards of directors. Hiring, retaining, and including more people of color in companies. Being as offended by microaggressions as many are about someone badmouthing their favorite sports team. Not mistaking a person of color for being difficult or unapproachable simply because they display authentic anger at the prejudice they experience. Actions such as these are what will change our diversity and inclusion messaging into movement.

For our part, you will continue to see our PRSA SE WI Diversity & Inclusion Committee leading the way in efforts for our profession locally and nationally. Some items immediately on the horizon for our committee include:

• More writings and programming to shine a light on a greater variety of people, businesses, and communities.
• Blog series with posts featuring some of the many different communities and individuals fighting the pandemic.
• Upcoming events addressing Black Lives Matter and its role in the workplace as well as in communications.

The goal for our committee in a nutshell is this. Although we will continue the diversity and inclusion talk, we want to walk the walk, taking steps toward truly diverse and truly inclusive professional and personal lives

Lindsey M. McKee
Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair
Public Relations Society of America Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter

Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Southeastern Wisconsin confirmed its 2020 board appointments at its December meeting and elected Katharine Foley, PR Advisor at Kane Communications Group as chapter president and Christine Dunbeck, Marketing Manager at MARS Solutions Group as chapter president-elect. Foley and Dunbeck, both 28, are the youngest people to be elected to lead the Southeastern Wisconsin chapter in its 69 year history. PRSA SE WI is the local chapter of PRSA, the world’s largest organization of public relations professionals, founded in 1947.

“I’m honored to serve as the PRSA SE WI president and work alongside our new and seasoned board members to elevate and energize the organization,” said Foley. “In 2020, PRSA SE WI plans to redesign its programming structure and expand local partnerships to offer a diverse lineup of events that meet the industry’s evolving needs.”

PRSA SE WI is comprised of approximately 300 members representing public relations and communications professionals from across the region, ranging from recent college graduates to mid-level professionals to leaders in agency, corporate and nonprofit settings. The local chapter was founded in 1951 by Greta W. Murphy, who served as vice president of public relations and development at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE).

“I’m elated to assist implementation of new initiatives in our chapter,” Dunbeck commented. “We are dedicated to providing the highest level of programming and resources for Southeastern Wisconsin communications professionals. I look forward to serving my esteemed peers.”

The 2020 board is comprised of 12 local PR and communications professionals and includes:

• President – Katharine Foley, Kane Communications Group
• President-elect – Christine Dunbeck, MARS Solutions Group
• Immediate Past President – Ryan Amundson, Potawatomi
• Treasurer – Christine Dunbeck, MARS Solutions Group
• Junior Treasurer – Katrina Schwarz, National Fluid Power Association
• Secretary – Tim McCormick, Harley-Davidson Museum
• Membership Chair – Allison Kucek, Trefoil
• Director-at-Large – Community Service – Claire Koenig, VISIT Milwaukee
• Director-at-Large – PR Palooza – Emily Tau, VISIT Milwaukee
• Director-at-Large – Marketing – Emily Bultman, New Berlin Redi-Mix
• Director-at-Large – Midwest District Liaison – Patrick McSweeney, APR, Fellow PRSA
• Director-at-Large – Ethics Officer – Michael Pflughoeft, APR, Fellow PRSA
• Accreditation Committee Chair – Annie Gentil, APR, Harley-Davidson Motor Company
• Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair – Lindsey McKee, VISIT Milwaukee
• PRSSA Liaison – Heidi Fendos, Fendos Public Relations

About PRSA

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the nation’s leading professional organization serving the communications community. With more than 30,000 professional and student members, PRSA is collectively represented in all 50 states by 110 Chapters and 14 Professional Interest Sections, and on nearly 375 college and university campuses through its student organization, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). The Southeastern Wisconsin chapter sponsors student chapters at Carthage College, Marquette University, UW-Milwaukee, and UW-Whitewater.