Jamé Jackson is a social and fashion editor based in New York City. She loves all things fashion, beauty, and #GirlBoss related. She can be seen spreading her magic on Instagram @Theblondemisfit and her website, Theblondemisfit.com.
On December 8, 2016, Heir PR hosted its 2016 Inaugural Heir’s List, a night of recognizing people of color breaking down barriers in their communities and industries. Heir Public Relations, a NYC-based creative boutique PR and Marketing Agency with a client focus in fashion, entertainment and lifestyle, was founded by Sherod Lewis in an effort to expand the spotlight on various diversity groups and their impact.
Jame Jackson sat down with Lewis to learn more on the Heir’s List, the mission of Heir PR, and the necessity of diversity in the workspace:
What was your reasoning for founding Heir PR?
I founded this company to better service minorities and their brands, with hopes of acquiring maximum exposure and opportunity to reach their target audiences.
Your recent Heirs List featured 50+ heirs who are using their gifts and energies to inspire others. What did assembling the Heirs List mean to you and why did you feel it was necessary to focus on various minority groups?
I am an advocate for celebrating others and their accomplishments, so curating this list was a long time dream being manifested. I focused on various minority groups to bring attention to and shed light on some amazing individuals who have went above and beyond to ensure the lives of others can further be enriched by their gifts.
Do you feel there’s a proper representation of people of color in the PR field? Why or why not?
I do not. Majority of the time when you see someone on television, in the news, or servicing major clients, they are always someone who isn’t of color. I am not sure why, but it could be that maybe people of color are just now exploring the opportunity to control theirs/and their client’s narratives (which is why more and more are surfacing daily). Whatever the reasoning, I am looking forward to more people of color taking this field and doing with it what they may.
Now (perhaps more than ever), we are seeing people of color create their OWN platforms, creating their own seat at the table so to speak. How is Heir PR creating its own seat and how are you celebrating others who are doing the same?
As you earlier mentioned, we created a platform to honor and celebrate those whom have created their own seats and we named it Heirs List. We also have several initiatives where our clients have created their own lanes and we bring much attention to them as well. We are all about providing access to those who so greatly deserve it.
How important is it to uplift our own communities (people of color, socioeconomic, LGBTQ, etc.) and why?
It is very important that we, now more than ever, uplift our own communities. If we don’t do it first, we can’t depend on anyone else to do it for us.
What does 2017 look like for Heir PR? What does 2017 look like for diversity and people of color in communications?
2017 will be another great year for Heir PR. We have some great things in store; currently we’re expanding by bringing on more clients, and our footprint will also reach further as we now have an international client on our roster. 2017 will be all about diversity for people of color in communications. We are fighting like hell to ensure our voices are heard and that we as a people are visible to control how we deliver and receive media.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to do what you do? What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?
For those who look like me, I would always tell them to follow their dreams and to not let societal standards nor psychological barriers hinder them from that. There will always be challenges, obstacles and things standing in the way, but if it isn’t worth the fight, it isn’t really what you want. I have faced so much, but I always kept my faith and held my head high…and I still will continue to do so.
To learn more about Heir PR, check them out on Instagram/Facebook @heirpr and www.heirpr.com
