| | Overview and History PRSA began its first diversity outreach more than 20 years ago, when a number of interested professionals approached the national leadership about forming a committee. Soon thereafter, a multicultural communications committee was formed that worked as part of the national leadership committee structure for a number of years. Under the leadership of Debra Miller, APR, Fellow PRSA, this committee was then rolled into a professional interest section — the Multicultural Communications Section — in 1997. In 2000, PRSA's national leadership selected Ofield Dukes, APR, Fellow PRSA, to lead its first official National Diversity Initiative. Mr. Dukes began an educational campaign throughout the country, taking the diversity message across Chapters as one of the top priorities of the national leadership. In conjunction with the Multicultural Communications Professional Interest Section and the College of Fellows initiative in 2001, the Society made strides in educating members about diversity and multiculturalism. At the last International Conference, for example, the first-ever Chapter Awards for Diversity were given to PRSA Chapters in Detroit, Atlanta and Cleveland, and by the continuing efforts of the Multicultural Communications Section with its scholarship awards. Through our research, we have found there is no recognized industry organization that has diversity at its forefront and that has offered value and benefit to members of diverse backgrounds. While there are ethnic-specific or sexual-orientation organizations, such as the Black Public Relations Society, the Asian American Advertising Federation and the Hispanic Marketing and Communications Association, among several others, these organizations provide local expertise on very specific markets and may not have the breadth and scope of a national umbrella organization. In December 2003, the National Diversity Committee distributed a diagnostic survey to Society, Chapter and Section leaders. The survey results indicate that more than half of the Society is currently participating in a diversity outreach or planned to do so in 2004. With this in mind, the Diversity Committee's efforts become crucial to Chapter development and, in turn, to the membership development. The reality is that the U.S. melting pot simmers with multicultural issues, and there is no better time for PRSA to taste it than now. For this reason, the 2004 plan that focuses on: - Fostering the ideology that promotes the coexistence of different cultures in America;
- Becoming diverse throughout the organization at all levels — national, District, Chapter and Section — and,
- Leveraging diversity and multiculturalism to gain awareness, and more importantly, insight to help the membership.
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