In a blog post published last month, PRSA’s Los Angeles Chapter President Marisol Barrios Perez, APR, wrote, “I urge our PR community to do what we do best: Raise our voices. Because when we speak together — with purpose, with clarity and with courage — we shape the narrative. And we stand on the right side of history.”
Indeed, these are unprecedented times that call for unprecedented measures. Just a glimpse at the last six months in Los Angeles, where I live, is telling. January started with the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in the state’s history. In early June, the president sent the National Guard and Marines to our streets, exchanging insults and accusations with California Gov. Newsom in the process. With a softening job market, an uncertain economy and a fragile geopolitical climate, it’s enough to make you want to hide under the covers and wait for calmer days.
And yet, as Barrios Perez reminds us, we are the truth tellers. From standing up to reverse the climate crisis to speaking out against authoritarian regimes, now’s the time for us to act courageously.
But what does “courage” even entail, and how can we invoke it within ourselves and each other? Here are a few ideas I find helpful when trying to act courageously.
Courage is within you — and eager to be unleashed.
We’ve been trained to think that only certain types of people are courageous, those with big names, titles and platforms. But really, we’re all born with it. Just look at toddlers. They know how to stand up with a vengeance for what they believe is right. What does it say about our society that we describe this valiant phase as “the terrible twos?”
As a girl, I was bullied, which left me vulnerable to keeping my head down and obeying to avoid further attack. It’s been healing for me to notice that those days are over and even if I were targeted today, I have more resources and people to help me handle it. It’s so freeing to hold my head high and take stands for what I believe in.
Can you recall a time when you were a young person and stood up for something? It’d be good to talk about it with someone and to notice what happened afterward. It might bring fond memories of victory. More likely than not, however, you may remember getting met with a hard “no” or worse. Getting shut down in our early life can leave us feeling frozen, fearful and helpless. But once we let go of those feelings, our courage is raring to go.
Fear and courage go hand in hand.
Courage is not the absence of fear — it’s acting despite it. We think of fear and courage as opposites, but they’re not. If we were to wait to not feel scared to take risks, then we would never do so.
The butterflies you feel before a presentation? That’s an example of fear and courage flowing through you at the same time. A distinguishing trait of humans is the ability to feel fear and still be able to think creatively and act courageously.
Courageous acts come in all sizes — and are contagious.
I started writing this post on Juneteenth, and thinking of the courage of Black women, in particular. The risks Harriet Tubman took not only to free herself but also to free others. Rosa Parks who was just not in the mood to give up her seat. Alicia Garza who posted a hashtag that would lead to a global movement: #BlackLivesMatter.
But most acts of courage do not end up in the history books. Yet, that does not diminish their significance. As PR professionals, in any given week we have contact with innumerous plans, strategies, tactics, crises, solutions — and people. Who might we want to collaborate with to interrupt business as usual, to amplify the voices of those who are currently targeted, to make sure truth is circulated? It would be good to make a list of all the things you’ve tried in the last period, as well as one of what you might want to try and with whom. Acknowledging, of course, that not all workplaces welcome employees speaking out, whether it be at demonstrations, on social media or in a meeting. So we have to weigh what makes sense and remember that there are many behind-the-scenes acts that can make a difference.
When we take a stand, we inspire others to do so. Barrios Perez’s message was just the nudge I needed to write this piece. As she reminds us, when we speak together with purpose, clarity and courage, we shape the narrative and stand on the right side of history.
Stephanie Abraham is the senior marketing communications specialist at Cal Poly Pomona. You may reach her at slabraham@cpp.edu. The author did not knowingly use artificial intelligence in the creation of this piece.
[Illustration: backstock]
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