Pittsburgh public relations group establishes Black Excellence Award

The Pittsburgh Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), a professional organization for marketing and public relations workers, announced a new award to recognize Black men and women working in the region’s communications field.

The $2,000 Black Excellence Award will be given annually to recent graduates of African American or Black ancestry who has chosen career paths in public relations, marketing or communications.

“We need to do more to show talented Black communications, public relations and marketing students that there is a home for them here in the Pittsburgh PR community,” Jordan Mitrik, PRSA Pittsburgh president, said in a statement.

Pittsburgh and the surrounding region has experienced an exodus of Black residents in recent years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the region has drawn repeated attention for its lack of inclusivity. Likewise, the PR industry has reportedly struggled with retaining non-white employees.

PRSA Pittsburgh launched a diversity a new diversity and inclusion plan this year, according to a news release. Mitrik said only 2% of the membership of PRSA Pittsburgh is Black, and in the last five years, the chapter’s board has had only three Black members.

PRSA Pittsburgh partnered with the global communication agency BCW to establish the award. All applicants must have graduated from a four-year university or college located in the U.S. in the last three years, and have a PR, marketing or communications position in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

“We must do better. We will do better,” Mitrik said.