In honor of PRIDE Month AND Juneteenth, PRSA Dallas spotlights Darian Taylor.
Posted by admin on Jun. 24, 2024 / Subscribe 0
Darian is a PRSA Dallas member and a member of the Young Pros Cohort, a PR professional working in-house, an African American member of the LGBTQ+ community, and all-around he’s a guy you’ll love getting to know.
Who is Darian Taylor?
I genuinely enjoyed getting to know Darian in preparation for this blog post. Today Darian works in the Public Relations field as a Lead Consultant for Corporate Communications and PR with AT&T, based right here in downtown Dallas. Prior to taking this in-house position, Darian worked for PR agencies including Genuine Article, after their split from The Richards Group, and TrailRunner International, and he interned with Grayling Communications in London. He’s had high tea “more times than he can count”, he’s had an opportunity to interview quite a few remarkable individuals such as Misty Copeland, David Rubenstein, and David Axelrod (just to name a few), and in 2019 he got the opportunity to stand on stage and give his first ever TEDx Talk!
Darian received a BA in Public Policy and Corporate Communications & Public Affairs from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. While at SMU he served as Student Body President and Founder & Executive Director of The Big Event, SMU’s largest day of community service. Darian also earned a certificate in Globalization, Economics, Politics and Communications from King’s College London during his internship.
He is fur-dad to Maltipoo, Lincoln (who is adorable by the way), and he prefers pie over cake and talking over texting. Keep reading to learn more about Darian and the reasons PRSA Dallas is highlighting this up-and-comer for PRIDE month!
During PRIDE Month and beyond, some companies are hesitant to show support, concerned they will hit a “PR landmine”. What would you offer in response to that thought?
Darian recognizes, like many of us in this profession, that there is a very delicate balance, particularly in our time, which has often been characterized as a highly polarized and politically charged environment. Darian reminds us that a company’s support or lack of support does not go unnoticed by the LGBTQ+ community, both internally with employees and externally with customers, and often this applies to other marginalized groups as well. This applies equally to large companies, such as Fortune 500 companies, who find themselves perpetually on the radar in both media and public awareness due to their size and visibility, and to small companies who tend to have a very strong connection with their highly localized customer base. This is where we, as PR communications practitioners, can help!
Darian articulates, on one hand, many companies see the value in displaying their commitment to their employees and customers by celebrating the many voices and the diversity that exists within their organizations and customer communities. That must be balanced against the need to refrain from appearing too aggressively committed to a singular “side”, leading to backlash and political division. “It is increasingly difficult to message to everyone, to message broadly; as communications practitioners we can help by doing research and ensuring everything that we communicate is data based”, said Darian.
Well said, Darian! My thoughts? Move over, AI. This is a job for a PR Pro.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, can you share with us what actions companies can take to show their support for employees during PRIDE month?
One of the best things that companies can do, Darian shares, is similar to PRSA’s approach: spotlight members who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. “Just because you’re part of a community doesn’t mean you [all] have the same background, the same beliefs, the same interests. Being able to spotlight diverse voices gives an opportunity to those who are not part of that community insight into who you are, what your struggles may be, what your challenges are, what successes you have, and what you find to be the motivation behind the work that you do”, said Darian. This approach sparks conversations and that’s one of the best and most important things that can happen during PRIDE month.
Speaking of conversations, PRIDE month is also about looking back in history. Many members of the LGBTQ+ community remember where they were in 2015 when the SCOTUS case legalized gay marriage or where they were when they learned about that first brick thrown at Stonewall.
AND one more point, Darian adds. Continuing those conversations throughout the year is important too. One of the most supportive things companies can do during PRIDE month, and beyond, is foster the building of communities within the organization through impactful Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Support from companies for their associates and customers shouldn’t be a “one and done”. Just like Darian’s favorite junk food, Lay’s classic potato chips, “Betcha can’t eat just one”. Once the spark of community is started companies can continue to fan the flame with support for the ERG throughout the year.
Speaking of ERGs, what is impactful and what is not when it comes to company sponsored Employee Resource Groups?
On the other hand, it is less impactful when companies and the ERGs they sponsor are solely focused internally. Darian articulates the importance of ERG involvement in the communities where their companies operate. He is part of both the LGBTQ+ and Black communities, celebrating both PRIDE month and Juneteenth, and would love to see ERGs supporting others outside of the organization as well. “We are social animals”, Darian said, and “it’s nice to be able to connect with others outside of the corporate world and let them know we are here, we are a community, and things are possible”.
Generally speaking, when it comes to company support for the LGBTQ+ community and other historically marginalized groups, have we come a long way OR do we have a long way to go?
“Both can be true”, Darian is quick to share. “My father always says, ‘We stand on the shoulders of the giants who come before us’, and that is true. But it doesn’t negate the fact that so much more can still be done to foster an inclusive society as we become more and more diverse as a country”.
Our conversation began to extend beyond gay rights as we chatted about civil rights and Juneteenth, women’s’ rights, and all the “giants” that have come before us. In 1997 Ellen DeGeneres publicly came out on her ABC sitcom. In 1998 NBC first aired Will & Grace, and in 2008 we saw the election of the first African American President - just to name a few modern-day milestones in representation. “There are so many giants that we stand on the shoulders of…we’ve come a long way…and we still have a long way to go”, Darian passionately shares. “There are certain parts of the country or even corporate America where gay people don’t feel comfortable holding the hands of their partner or our rights are being challenged by elected officials.”
I’ll conclude with this: Darian’s vision for the future. “I believe that when I’m older, when I’m reflecting on my life, we’re going to be in a place that is much further along in terms of the diversity of our society, the inclusion of different members of our society, and feeling equitable.”
Darian got me thinking…so many of us in our public and influential roles in the PR field today, just might have the opportunity to be one of the “giants” of tomorrow.
Click here to review PRSA’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month Resources: Pride Month | PRSA
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