Rebranding Latino Leadership in PR

My goal is to help tell the Hispanic/Latino story for the PR profession. Through this monthly column, I’m thankful that Strategies & Tactics has given me the opportunity to provide useful, relatable information that could help open the door for Hispanic/Latino PR pros and provide advice on how to tap into Hispanic communities. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that only 13.6 percent of PR specialists identified as Hispanic or Latino. And only about half of that number were at a leadership level, with just 7.6 percent describing their role as a PR manager.   

The reason for this leadership gap in our profession has multiple layers but, in my opinion, the solutions aren’t insurmountable. They just take conscious actions and time.

Showing youth the way

Advocating for what we want is not often taught in the Latino culture. Times are changing, but traditional Latino culture is based on interconnectedness, particularly in the family unit. That can help us flourish personally, but it may hold us back professionally when we work to fit in rather than stand out. 

To increase our Latino staff or leaders, we must do the equitable work of seeking them out. In the same way that someone can be “tapped” for a position in the corporate world, as communicators, let’s personally invite students to consider public relations.

This is especially effective when PR pros volunteer their time to speak to college students from Hispanic-serving institutions who may not know about the PR profession and could use the encouragement to elevate as young leaders. High school and community colleges are also great places to connect with students of Latino background. Many of us are educational pioneers in our families. Exposing these students to communications early can be a game-changer.

Representation matters, and part of that means that Latino pros should be sharing how they made their way in the field and up the professional ladder. That was a big reason I was inspired to ask about writing for this publication in the first place. 

We have to ask ourselves: Are we making a seat at the table or taking a seat to help change the future for the better?

Amelia Folkes, APR, a Latina PR pro from Austin, Texas, agrees that many Hispanic youth have never heard of public relations and, by the time they are in college, it’s sometimes too late to start their studies in that area.

“We should also be more active with HBCUs and talk with their journalism and marketing departments,” said Folkes. “Many colleges don’t even have a PR department... it’s just a class or two.” 

That was exactly my experience as an undergraduate. Luckily, another student shared her internship experience with me and that sparked my interest. 

Hopefully, more students will continue to learn about public relations. Last fall, PRSSA established a new Chapter at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Ala., the 20th HBCU now affiliated with the student society, joining the 22 Chapters at institutions recognized by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Encouraging college students to start a PRSSA Chapter at their campus could help, too. 

Sharing supports equity

Sharing our lessons to those who are not privileged with shortcuts is how equity comes alive. Author Nathalie Molina Nino, a serial-tech entrepreneur and daughter of Latinx immigrants, shared 50 imperative entrepreneur hacks in her book “Leapfrog.” 

What a scalable way to share insights and inspire Latinos so they can advance in business by being strategic and showing others the way. Having more Hispanics in public relations will be less of a novelty if we can expose them to communications, encourage them to enter public relations and share the inside leapfrogs that make us leaders in the profession.