More initiatives are being built in the fight for racial justice.

Public relations firm Edelman has announced its $1 million commitment to support pro bono work for communications organizations working toward achieving social justice, Black Enterprise reports.

The communications giant revealed that the objective of these partnerships is to increase their efforts toward their ongoing commitment to racial justice and diversity and inclusion within the company’s infrastructure.

“This starts at home,” said Edelman U.S. CEO Russell Dubner. “We’ve made commitments and driven progress, but there is much more to do to become the anti-racist company we all aspire to be.”

As the world’s largest PR agency, Edelman is furthering its efforts by creating pro bono partnerships with communications services like the National Association of Black Journalists, CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion, and The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation to elevate conversations and narratives in the Black community.

According to Black Enterprise, the firm says the new million-dollar commitment arrives after its U.S. commitment to 30 percent racial and ethnic diversity in its workforce among other priorities they’re taking into account.

These partnerships will include a dedicated fellow at NABJ to advocate for positive stories of race relations and the Black community as well as leverage media channels to amplify said stories, according to an Edelman spokesperson.

Additionally, these partnerships will also provide resources across Edelman’s network to “ensure stories are found, placed, and amplified as strategically as possible,” Black Enterprise reports.

In regards to their new partnership with Edelman, NABJ President Dorothy Tucker stated:

“Edelman’s expertise at elevating important stories in the media is well-known. By amplifying success narratives, we hope to educate, inform and fuel conversation that will lead to real positive change in the social justice arena. All of that while telling the truth about the very serious challenges in this country and the commitment by many to address systemic racism.”

Edelman’s partnership with the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion includes a two-year fellowship that will fight racism at an institutional level by advancing public policy, while their partnership with The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation will amplify the foundation’s mission, according to the firm.

Lisa Ross, U.S. COO of Edelman and President of Edelman D.C., told Black Enterprise via email that although the company is currently ramping up their social justice efforts, they’ve been combating systemic racism for many years.

“We are having some harder, more pointed, more purposeful conversations internally and externally in the wake of George Floyd’s death,” she said. “Symbolically, we’d like to have an impact outside of our four walls. The financial donation is significant, but we hope our dollar commitment will have leverage far beyond the amount, given the unique skill set and resources we can bring to the table.”

pro bono

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