To be clear: This webpage is not meant to be a defense of my work or proof that I should be considered an ally or “good” white person. It is also not a request for praise. I share this information for those who want to know more about who I am, how I view my work, and why/how I try to utilize my privilege. P.S. Like me, this page is a work in progress, so feel free to leave comments about things I should address.
I am a white cisgender woman researching equity and power concerns for professional communicators (public relations/strategic communication). This is a field I worked in for 15 years, and I do this research because I strongly believe professional communicators must feel a deep sense of responsibility for the words, rhetoric, and stories we put into the world.
Since starting my Ph.D., I have become accustomed to receiving a variety of reactions to my work. In addition to the expected critics, this includes suspicion and skepticism from scholars as well as practitioners in fields such as social work and education. I absolutely respect this response.
I have lived my life from a place of tremendous privilege, and I have and will make mistakes as I un/relearn what I have taken for granted due to that privilege. I endeavor to identify and address what I can, but I am continually reminded that there is more I have not questioned than what I have.
I also recognize that my work supports the capitalistic and neoliberal structures/organizations that many believe must be torn down for progress to be made. I view my work as a form of insider and scholar-activism, hoping to challenge and reshape the work of public relations in ways that will reduce/repair harm. I want us to live up to our title of “communicators,” but I fully respect those who do not believe this is a possible, good, or needed goal.
What do I mean by equity and power concerns for public relations professionals?
Public relations is an overwhelmingly white industry, and I am a white professional who discusses equity differently than many researchers. When I think about equity concerns for practitioners, I envision two directions of the research:
- The need to make changes to the industry and profession so that it is a more welcoming field for practitioners with marginalized identities. I label this as “diversity and equity concerns about public relations.”
- An examination of the skills and how practitioners do their work. I think of this as “equity concerns for public relations practitioners.”
My research fits into the second category as it comes from my experience, but I cannot stress the importance of working to make PR less white.
What is this webpage?
I strongly align with the principles of cultural humility, including its expectation of continual self-reflection and accountability. I created this webpage as part of my efforts to be accountable for living the values I hold. I also created it for those who have questions but do not want to ask me.
I know it is no one else’s job to tell me when I make mistakes or am wrong, but I am appreciative of those who do. I try to respond to these moments with an openness to listen and an appreciation for the opportunity to recognize things I do not know, including how I show up in the world.
This page is also a reminder for myself that the biggest danger to my work is if I become overconfident and forget the limits of my experience. I cannot forget that, no matter how much I hope I’ve learned or how many ways I think I’ve changed, I am always one action or mistake away from becoming one of the “well-intentioned white people” who are the most dangerous.
Blogs about who I am
Before starting my Ph.D., I always provided examples based on my professional/personal experiences and mistakes. I did this both to invite others to recognize themselves in my experiences and to make it clear that I am not claiming to be better than the wrongs I discuss. It has been necessary to shift this focus on personal experience since I began my Ph.D. program. This was needed both due to academic practice and the need to connect with a wider range of people than white higher education/nonprofit communicators.
For those who want to know me, these are blogs I’ve written discussing my experiences and what I value:
- Who is the researcher, Sandra Boone? (A positionality statement that is a summary of the spirit and motivations for my work)
- Why I use the word “communicator” (Explanation of how I view the role of professional communicators)
- It’s not just about having the “right” words and pictures (Discussion of the patterns I’ve noticed in communicators including specific examples of my mistakes)
Activism and service
I continually seek opportunities to support work and causes both inside and outside of academia. While my ability to do large consulting work is limited by my schedule as a Ph.D. student, I am happy to discuss communications needs including paid/pro-bono support.
Some of my past activities have included:
- Member/co-chair of the DEI subcommittee of the University of Minnesota Communicators Forum where we regularly organized workshops about equity-related skills for communicators such as ethical storytelling
- Member of the University of Minnesota Diversity Community of Practice and the communications subcommittee
- Member of the GPS inSIDE (the workgroup focused on DEI concerns) and co-creator of the White People Accountability Group (a place for self-reflection and accountability) at the University of Minnesota’s Global Programs and Strategy Alliance
- Board member of the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota
- Data entry volunteer for the Twin Cities Mutual Aid Project
- Board member, secretary, and managing blog editor for the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of the Twin Cities
Research
In my research, I seek to build a case for what it means to bring an equity-informed lens to the work of public relations professionals. My overall focus includes the topics included in my sample syllabus, and I am now narrowing my focus to the intersection of language and power.
My active research projects include:
- Interviews for a dissertation examining how public relations practitioners think about and use language with the hopes of building an argument for Critical Language Awareness
- A visual analysis of popular representations of “diversity” in stock photography to discuss how they reinforce and perpetuate unhelpful narratives and practices within organizations.
In this research, I seek to bridge critical and functional research practices. This allows me to use my experience to name and challenge professional practices that have gone unquestioned AND provide recommendations for change/action. The questions I examine in my research are all items I actively questioned while working, and I know other communicators who do so as well. Much of my research directly deals with the technician roles for communicators, but it is also about developing a mindset to guide all aspects of our work.
Accountability partners and mentorship
I very much wish to connect with other graduate students or scholars engaging in equity-related research, including those wanting to discuss what it means to be a white person engaging in equity/social justice research. I do not want my work to be another white-centering or performative effort, and I want to connect with others who will hold me accountable to that. If that is you, please leave me a comment below or message me on LinkedIn.
I am also happy to talk to public relations students and other scholars wanting insight into the work of public relations.
Financial support
I acknowledge that discussing my donations/payments is the part of accountability where I feel least comfortable. In addition to questioning whether I give enough, I feel uncertain about how to talk about these payments without it seeming (or being) “proof” of my credibility/work.
I make a variety of donations and payments to organizations and people who are significant to my work and/or my personal journey. This includes both organizations and content creators. I do this due to a feeling of responsibility to those who have shaped and continue to inform my thinking/work. I do not expect anything in exchange for these payments, and I am happy to answer questions.
Sandra Boone 
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