ABSTRACT
Scholarly literature regarding resistance to diversity is an area of research that is steadily growing. As efforts to progress diversity measures in practice and academia increase, so do efforts to resist diversification measures. To date, research on diversity resistance in public relations is in its infant stages. However, both scholars and practitioners in the field of public relations (PR) have well noted the need for more efforts toward diversifying the field – with particular focus on African-American professionals. This chapter will serve as the first known review of literature regarding diversity resistance in PR relating to experiences of African-Americans. As much has not been noted in scholarly literature about the topic, this chapter will explore and review cases from practice, relevant research on PR and the history of diversity in PR to build a foundation for the topic area in contemporary PR research. The chapter will also provide preliminary suggestions for practitioners and scholars for working against resistance to diversity and will define areas and methods for future research.
