We’re only a couple of months into 2025, but the energy and momentum within WWPR is already incredible!
Our Annual Meeting Luncheon in February was nothing short of inspiring. A huge thank you to Debbi Jarvis, who left us with so many powerful takeaways, including one of my favorites:
➡️ “Embrace who you’ve been because it’s going to lead to who you will become.”
Her wisdom set the perfect tone for the year ahead, and we are so grateful to have kicked things off with such an empowering conversation.
At the end of February, we gathered for Policy Influence in a Shifting Landscape—a timely and thought-provoking discussion on navigating today’s policy and regulatory environment. Thank you to our incredible panelists for sharing candid insights and practical strategies, and to Beekeeper Group for hosting us.
Looking ahead, I’m especially excited for the first dinner in our Executive Communicator Series this week! This new quarterly series is designed to bring senior-level communicators together for meaningful conversations in a private setting. A huge thank you to MiQ for sponsoring this initiative and helping us create a space for authentic dialogue among industry leaders. I also hope to see many of you at our Women’s History Month Happy Hour on March 27.
And if you’re already planning ahead, mark your calendars for our signature events:
✨ Emerging Leaders Awards – June 11 at the AT&T Forum, Washington, D.C. ✨ Woman of the Year – October 3 at The Salamander, Washington, D.C.
With so much happening, I’m beyond grateful to be part of this incredible community. Whether you’ve joined us at an event or engaged with us online, your presence and support make all the difference. I can’t wait to see what we continue to build together this year!
Happy New Year! (Can we still say that the last week of January?!) It’s an honor to kick off 2025 as your President, especially during this milestone year as we celebrate 45 years of Washington Women in Public Relations. For over four decades, WWPR has been a cornerstone for female communicators in the D.C. area, cultivating connections, leadership opportunities and professional growth. I’m thrilled to build on this incredible legacy alongside our incoming Board of Directors.
We’re coming into the year on such a high note after closing out 2024 with an incredible Woman of the Year event and launching a fresh, new website designed to create a much better platform and experience for both members and non-members alike.
We’ve already hit the ground running with exciting events to kickstart the year! On January 9, we hosted Recharge & Reconnect: A Guided Meditation for PR Pros, a virtual session that emphasized the importance of well-being in our fast-paced industry. Thank you to Kristi Duncan for guiding us through a calming meditation and equipping us with practical tools to prioritize mental health.
Later, on January 23, it was wonderful to see so many of you in person at Burson Global for Next-Gen Comms: Strategies for a Shifting Media Ecosystem. This insightful panel explored the challenges and opportunities of today’s decentralized media landscape. A huge thank you to Burson for hosting and to our incredible panelists for sharing their expertise. Seeing a packed room of communicators engaging in such a timely discussion reminds me of the power of our community.
Looking ahead, we have even more in store:
WWPR Annual Meeting Luncheon – Join us on February 13 at The Hamilton as we gather to thank our outgoing board, welcome the 2025 Board of Directors, and hear from our inspiring keynote speaker, Debbi Jarvis, whose journey and insights will set an exciting tone for the year ahead.
Policy Influence in a Shifting Landscape – Save the date for our February professional development event on February 25 at the Beekeeper Group. Stay tuned for details as we dive into how communicators can adapt to the priorities of a new administration.
Executive Communicators Series – We’ll soon announce dates for this exciting quarterly series, designed specifically for senior-level communicators to connect in-person, build community and share strategies on navigating today’s challenges.
This year, we are committed to providing even more meaningful opportunities for professional growth, thought leadership and connection. Whether you’re joining us virtually or in person, I hope to see you at an upcoming event as we continue to grow this amazing community.
Thank you for being part of WWPR’s legacy and future. Here’s to an inspiring 2025!
In recent news, there has been a weaponization of the term Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and increased backlash against equity-based programs and initiatives. However, in taking the temperature of our current climate, I believe the fight has just begun. This highly charged moment is an opportunity for a true culture shift where AI has the potential to play a key role in driving positive social change.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a transformative tool, boosting innovation, efficiency, and productivity across industries. However, like with any evolving technology, it poses both opportunities and challenges. Paired with a DEI lens, AI can become a powerful ally for promoting social justice especially in communications and cause-related marketing. Specifically, Ethical AI that integrates DEI principles adheres to guidelines that prioritize fundamental human-centered values, while avoiding harm. As a result, communicators that use these critical tools can develop communications campaigns that motivate diverse audiences and represent marginalized communities with authenticity, dignity and respect.
AI-driven tools with a DEI focus can analyze language in marketing and communications to detect gender, racial or cultural biases, allowing organizations to refine their messaging to be more inclusive. This ensures that communications are culturally sensitive and resonate with a wider audience. Significantly, DEI-focused AI helps prevent organizations from falling into the trap of performative DEI efforts or the reinforcement of harmful stereotypes.
Monsters and Ghosts in the Machine
Joy Buolamwini, bestselling author of “Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What is Human in a World of Machines” and an “Ethical AI” firebrand has been a vocal leader in making the case for DEI-informed AI to increase tech diversity, center marginalized communities and close the digital divide. In her book and lectures, she addresses the “coded gaze” and “coded bias” that dominates the tech industry to highlight the biases embedded in algorithms that serve to dehumanize BIPOC communities, especially with faulty facial recognition software that disproportionately targets and racially profiles black and brown people, turning them into digital boogeymen and phantoms.
As an advocate for “algorithmic justice,” Dr. Buolamwini has pushed for diverse representation at the developer level and to create AI systems that combat systemic racism, gender discrimination and ableism. Her book serves as a valuable resource for communicators. We too must be vigilant in ensuring that the tools used to enhance our work are not harmful to the communities and organizations we represent.
The New Digital Culturalists
A new generation of diverse tech leaders is disrupting the traditionally exclusive white male-dominated “tech bro” industry by building ethical and inclusive AI systems. Large Language Models (LLM) and chatbots like Latimer and ChatBlackGPT, along with organizations such as Black AI Think Tank are at the forefront of advocating for deep inclusion and developing anti-bias AI tools to ensure underserved communities are represented in authentic ways. Their mission is to combat the whitewashing, misrepresentation and erasure of BIPOC histories in technology.
I recently attended the National Black AI Literacy Day event hosted by Black AI Think Tank and
ChatBlackGPT’s listening session with industry leaders, which emphasized the need for transparency, diverse representation, culturally sensitive datasets and the development of ethical AI systems. These leaders are advocating for anti-bias tools, policy recommendations, and accountability from Big Tech to ensure more BIPOC developers and tech leaders are included as decision makers in the tech industry, especially at the C-suite level. They are leading an AI revolution, demanding a seat at the table and more skin in the game to make sure BIPOC communities have agency and control the narrative when it comes to preserving historical and cultural accuracy.
The Future of Ethical AI
Incorporating Ethical AI in communications can be instrumental in futureproofing DEI programs and initiatives. To maximize the benefits of ethical and responsible AI while mitigating risks, it’s important for organizations and communicators to follow these best practices:
Use inclusive AI tools that monitor bias through equity assessments during the design phase and incorporate diverse training datasets based on various demographics, cultures and perspectives.
Ensure transparent AI best practices are used across all departments within an organization, building trust in AI systems by making information about data use and algorithms accessible.
Provide ongoing education and training on AI’s ethical implications and opportunities to advance DEI initiatives, ensuring buy-in from leadership and staff.
AI has the potential to be a game changer in advancing DEI in communications and positioning
organizations as change agents, but only if it incorporates a commitment to digital equity and inclusion. By prioritizing ethical AI practices, organizations can ensure AI becomes a transformative force in fostering more inclusion and promoting social justice.
For more hot topics and engaging content on Ethical AI, check out Vanguard Communication’s AI Taskforce blog series.
About Lelani Clark
Lelani Clark is Associate Director and Senior Media Relations Strategist at Vanguard Communications. As a certified DEI advocate, she serves on the AI Taskforce, focusing on the intersection of AI and DEI. Her work centers on using Ethical AI in communications to amplify the voices of BIPOC communities and promote social justice. Ms. Clark is a professional member of WWPR.
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