Cupid Jamila and Joell Myescha, "Who's in the Room? A Guide to Public Relations from the Black Professional Perspective" (Kendall Hunt, 2025)

·50 min·5 clips

Dr. Jamila Cupid and Myesha Joel reveal why Black public relations professionals have been historically excluded and how their new book aims to fix that.

The episode begins with host Regan Gillum introducing the book and its authors, Dr. Jamila Cupid, a professor at Pepperdine University, and Myesha Joel, a producer and publicist. Cupid explains her motivation for writing the book stemmed from a lack of documented history on Black PR professionals during her graduate studies. Joel shares her 20-plus years of industry experience facing microaggressions and tokenization. The conversation defines public relations as strategic reputation management distinct from marketing, focusing on building trust and relationships. The authors trace PR in Black history, highlighting Ida B. Wells' anti-lynching campaign as early PR work and mentioning figures like Bayard Rustin and Karine Jean-Pierre. They introduce the IDEA framework as an alternative to DEI, emphasizing inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. Discussion turns to challenges Black PR professionals face, including implicit bias, resource allocation issues, and mental health impacts like chronic burnout, with examples from interviewees such as Lisa Osborne Ross. The authors cite a Gallup study showing a disconnect between public DEI expectations and organizational performance. They outline best practices for companies, stressing cultural change over performative gestures. The research process involved years of archival work at institutions like the Schomburg Center, uncovering overlooked figures like Kirsten Clark Taylor. Co-authorship involved dividing chapters based on expertise and providing mutual emotional support. The book aims to mentor students, guide faculty, and assist professionals at all levels. Future projects include Cupid's international PR research and Joel's docu-series 'Black Expat Stories.' The episode concludes with thanks and farewells.

As heard by us

A grounded look at public relations, belonging, and the mental toll of being overlooked at work.

Regan Gillum's conversation with Dr. Jamila Cupid and Myesha Joel gives public relations a grounded, human shape, tying Who's in the Room? A Guide to Public Relations from the Black Professional Perspective to the daily realities of Black professionals.

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Public relations through a Black professional lens, with a direct look at exclusion and what support costs.

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