In a world where communication can build or break reputations in seconds, public relations (PR) holds immense power, not just to shape narratives, but to decide whose narratives are told. Traditionally, PR has focused on amplifying dominant voices and reinforcing the mainstream, often sidelining the stories, struggles, and successes of marginalized communities. But the tides are changing. Today’s audiences demand authenticity, representation, and accountability. For PR to remain relevant and responsible, it must shift from the center to the margins—amplifying voices historically excluded from the public conversation.
This shift isn’t just ethical. It’s strategic. Brands, institutions, and organizations that prioritize inclusivity build stronger trust, deeper engagement, and more meaningful relationships. In short, uplifting underrepresented voices isn’t charity—it’s smart, forward-thinking communication.
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Understanding the Margins
When we talk about “the margins,” we’re referring to individuals and communities who have been systemically left out of mainstream representation. This includes (but isn’t limited to) people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, people with disabilities, Indigenous communities, people from low-income backgrounds, and religious minorities.
The reasons for their underrepresentation are complex, rooted in histories of colonialism, racism, patriarchy, ableism, and other systemic inequalities. PR, like many industries, has often mirrored these imbalances rather than challenging them. As a result, stories from the margins are frequently ignored, misrepresented, or told through the lens of dominant power structures.
To center the margins is to recognize that those furthest from traditional power are often closest to the truth. It means making room not just for diversity in imagery, but for agency in narrative creation.
Why Centering the Margins Matters
1. Representation Equals Relevance
Audiences are diverse, and so are their experiences. When campaigns fail to reflect this diversity, they alienate significant portions of their audience. PR that centers marginalized voices resonates more deeply because it feels real, lived-in, and relatable. It helps people see themselves in the story, and that emotional connection is powerful.
2. Correcting Harmful Narratives
Mainstream media and PR have long been complicit in reinforcing harmful stereotypes. Whether it's the portrayal of Black communities as dangerous, Muslims as threatening, or trans people as punchlines, the consequences of misrepresentation are real and damaging. Centering marginalized voices helps correct these narratives, offering complexity, humanity, and authenticity in place of caricature.
3. Building Trust and Accountability
Communities that have been ignored or exploited are understandably skeptical of institutions that suddenly claim to “support” them. A PR approach that centers the margins doesn’t just spotlight these voices when it’s convenient—it builds ongoing relationships rooted in trust and reciprocity. This isn’t about speaking for others. It’s about creating platforms so people can speak for themselves.
How PR Can Uplift Underrepresented Voices
Here are practical ways PR professionals and teams can begin to make meaningful change:
1. Diversify Your Teams
The first step is internal. Who’s crafting your messages? Who’s at the table when strategy is decided? Without diverse teams—including people from the communities you hope to reach—there is a high risk of blind spots and unintentional harm. Hiring, promoting, and empowering talent from underrepresented groups is foundational to any authentic PR effort.
2. Shift the Power of Storytelling
It’s not enough to include marginalized individuals in your campaign visuals. They need to have input in the creative process itself. Invite community members to co-create content, inform messaging, and guide the tone and priorities of a campaign. True representation requires participation.
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3. Build Long-Term Partnerships
Avoid parachuting into communities only when it’s trending or when a crisis arises. Cultivate relationships with grassroots organizations, activists, cultural leaders, and local storytellers. These partnerships should be mutually beneficial and sustained beyond individual campaigns.
4. Listen Before You Speak
Before launching a campaign “for” an underrepresented group, take the time to listen. Conduct focus groups, interviews, and community listening sessions. What issues matter most to them? What language feels empowering? What stories are often untold? Let empathy and curiosity guide the strategy.
5. Challenge Harmful Language and Imagery
Do a deep audit of your messaging. Are you using terms or visuals that reinforce stereotypes or exclude certain identities? Are you relying on tropes that simplify or flatten complex identities? If so, it’s time to revise. Inclusive language and thoughtful imagery are critical components of ethical PR.
6. Advocate From Within
If you work within a brand or agency, use your voice to advocate for inclusive strategies. Push for transparency, accountability, and ethical decision-making at every level. The change often starts from the inside out.
Success Stories: What Good Looks Like
Some PR campaigns and strategies offer excellent examples of centering the margins:
Fenty Beauty broke the mold in the beauty industry by offering 40+ foundation shades and featuring models across skin tones and abilities, setting a new standard for representation in product launches.
Ben & Jerry’s has consistently used its platform to speak on racial justice, climate change, and LGBTQ+ rights, often partnering directly with grassroots organizations and activists.
The #SeeUs campaign by Disability: IN partnered with major corporations to highlight disabled professionals and challenge misconceptions about workplace inclusion.
These examples show that authentic representation is both powerful and possible when done with intention, humility, and partnership.
Avoiding Performative Pitfalls
With increased pressure on brands to be “inclusive,” some fall into the trap of performative PR efforts that are symbolic rather than substantive. A rainbow logo during Pride Month means little if the company doesn’t support LGBTQ+ employees year-round. A Black Lives Matter post rings hollow if internal leadership remains entirely white.
To truly center the margins, PR must move beyond optics. This work is often slow, uncomfortable, and ongoing. But it is also essential, transformative, and rewarding.
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Conclusion: A Call to Action
Centering underrepresented voices in PR isn’t a one-off tactic. It’s a paradigm shift—a reimagining of who we prioritize, who we listen to, and who gets to define the story. As communicators, we have a responsibility to uplift, not appropriate; to amplify, not overshadow.
In a world craving authenticity, inclusion, and equity, the most powerful PR is that which brings everyone into the narrative, especially those who have been historically pushed to the margins.
It’s time to stop speaking over people and start standing beside them. The future of PR depends on it.
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