We've all heard about the dangers of living in the past and how dwelling on yesterday can blur our ability to see what’s ahead of us. I do not doubt the validity of that logic. However, my approach is very different when tackling my day-to-day life. For me remembering both the good and bad from my past helped shape my future decisions and ultimately, happiness. I am so grateful to all my wonderful mentors that worked hard on their masterpiece creating the honest and creative person that I am today. None of it could have been done without their strong guidance, tough love, lessons in life, and lots of laughter. Many mistakes were made, but they taught me to learn from each of them to improve and become better. They also taught me how to create loyalty with my professional team and work together as one. My partner of many years gave me the nickname of Tubbs because of my resilience and courage to make a difference like Harriet Tubman, my she-ro.
In the beginning, it felt like I was walking on a cloud, feeling very confused, not knowing where I was going. They taught me to feel secure and develop self-esteem. It was never easy to say how proud I was of my accomplishments, or to stand tall and walk with my head held high. They influenced me to never stop learning and building my skills and to never leave anyone behind.
Like many of my friends and colleagues, we had no idea what type of work we wanted to do so I tried everything that I thought would make me happy. Over the years I worked in education, massage therapy, broadcasting, community affairs & engagement, advertising, promotions, and marketing. I also attended law school but disliked it. My mentor in broadcasting, Dr. Julia Hare taught me about public relations and how to excel. Then I decided to start my own public relations and marketing agency based in San Francisco 20 years ago called Promotions West. Today, I am based in Melbourne, Australia working globally. Still feeling rather naive, I can remember going to see a graphic designer to create my logo. I remember sweating as I struggled to answer the many questions that he kept asking. He wanted to know the who, what, where, when, and why I wanted to start such a company. I tried to run away from him, but he continued forcing me to talk. He created a logo for me that I wasn't sure of, but everyone loved it. He created a coyote expressing their message. All animal lovers fell in love with it and wanted to work with me.
The hardest question was why did I want to start a public relations and marketing firm? My graphic designer gave me lots of homework and thinking to do. My mentors all helped me to explain the reason why. Between the years 1999 and 2000, no white PR firm would work with any organisation if they were Black, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander or any other colour. It was during a time with agencies, companies, and corporations were not willing to work with 'those' communities. Building a strong team of likeminded professionals, we reached out to organisations that needed our help to promote their media campaign messages and teach them how to ask the right questions and start planning strategically with the best messages to their priority audiences. At the time, none of the white agencies wanted the Black dollars from those agencies. Promotions West was willing to take a chance with each of them and taught them about community outreach, how to conduct focus groups, to write & apply for contracts, negotiate with outside advertisers and with electronic and print outlets to distribute their messages successfully. To our surprise, we were successful at changing attitudes.
After many years of building honesty and trust, Promotions West was no longer flying under the radar of white agencies. Many of them were now interested in doing work in those communities but were not willing to listen to their needs or desires. Many wanted to tell them what to do and what they needed without listening to what the client was saying or not saying. For many of them it was too late, because they had no staff that looked like any of the members of those community organisations. Eventually, white agencies started hiring people of colour that they could control, but community-based organisations couldn't be fooled. The best news was that other agencies of colour jumped on board, and we all worked together as a team that cared.
This was a time when racism and discrimination was shown openly with various firms. Large businesses didn't want to encourage Blacks or people of colour to frequent their establishments to buy clothes, eat a meal, purchase a home, attend college, or to join a gym. High-end brands like Ralph Lauren, Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Versace, Abercrombie & Fitch and many others built their images on ideals rooted in exclusivity, often embodying the Eurocentric aesthetic. From early on, these brands marketed to affluent, white audiences, defining “luxury” and “prestige” in terms that typically excluded Black and Brown people. Many high-end brands didn’t want their products associated with people of colour, fearing it would undermine the "exclusive" image they cultivated. This preference reflected and reinforced society's segregationist views, essentially positioning whiteness as a luxury marker.
Marketing strategies in the late 1990s and early 2000s were shaped by a lack of diversity within the advertising and public relations industries themselves. Identical to what was happening in the fashion industry, the leadership at agencies was overwhelmingly white, and without diverse voices in decision-making, stereotypes were perpetuated, and marketing decisions were often made with a "white gaze."
Stereotypes about what consumers of different racial backgrounds would or should find appealing led to a homogenised media landscape. People of colour were often either misrepresented or excluded entirely, even though data already showed their spending power and cultural influence. It wasn’t until brands realized the economic power of Black and Brown audiences that they began to shift, and even then, it was usually to tap into those markets without fully integrating them into the brand identity.
Fashion and media historically operated on networks that excluded people of colour from key roles, whether on the runway, in advertisements, or behind the scenes. When Black and Brown people were featured, it was often in tokenized or stereotypical roles that limited visibility and full representation. Seldom did you see people of colour reading the news during prime times. I can still remember when many of my colleagues were terminated for refusing to straighten their hair or cutting off their afro hair style. The sad part is that the discrimination never stopped, even today. DEI, Diversity, Ethnicity, and Inclusion are just words being used to trick people.
For models, there was a pervasive belief that only white models could appeal to the broadest audience, with Black and Brown models frequently deemed “too niche.” This systemic bias reinforced the exclusion of people of colour from high-fashion magazines, campaigns, and editorials. I became aware of this when I discovered a great documentary called Invisible Beauty (2023) about fashion revolutionary Bethann Hardison who looks back on her journey as a pioneering Black model, modelling agent, and activist, shining a light on an untold chapter in the fight for racial diversity in the industry.
Many luxury brands feared that featuring models of colour, or associating too openly with non-white celebrities, would change the perception of their brand among white consumers, a demographic they relied on heavily. This misguided fear of "brand dilution" led them to resist inclusive marketing practices. Many of their limited vision of the world encouraged the Promotions West team to excel and kick doors down that had been locked for decades. Cultural resistance also played a role, as racial bias was woven into the fabric of many luxury brands. Leadership within these firms was often reluctant to make inclusive changes, either due to internalised racial prejudice or a simple lack of interest in expanding their market beyond what they considered their core demographic.
By the 1990s, there was a growing realisation among white-led public relations and marketing firms that Black and Brown consumers represented a significant market. However, rather than committing to inclusivity, many of these firms adopted tokenism, placing one or two non-white models or spokespersons in campaigns as a superficial nod to diversity. This tokenism allowed firms to access the spending power of Black and Brown audiences while avoiding genuine inclusivity. Many agencies, brands, and media outlets were still reluctant to work with Black-owned firms unless it was profitable or necessary, reflecting a deep-seated unwillingness to work collaboratively or equitably.
These times marked a shift with the rise of hip-hop culture, urban influence, and increased visibility of artists of colour in fashion and media. Yet mainstream brands were slow to recognize or accept these cultural shifts. Instead, they often adopted Black and Brown cultural trends without adequately crediting or compensating the creators. Activism around this time also began to call out racism in the media and fashion industries, but progress was slow. It wasn’t until companies faced public scrutiny and growing demand for diversity that they started to implement inclusive changes—but often only at a superficial level.
Like Promotions West, other Black and Brown-owned agencies, were essential to countering these discriminatory practices. By offering an authentic understanding of our priority audiences, these agencies provided insight and representation that mainstream firms lacked. These agencies created genuine connections with diverse audiences, not just by tapping into market power but by recognising the cultural significance and potential of community gatekeepers and influencers in communities. However, they often faced obstacles in securing high-profile clients due to racial biases within the industry. Those biases still exist today across the board. This monster of racism keeps raising its ugly head. We decided to change our vision, step up, speak up, and be the voice for so many others who didn't have a voice.
The exclusionary practices of white-led agencies and brands during these times were deeply rooted in systemic racial biases, cultural gatekeeping, and a flawed belief that the “luxury” image required racial homogeneity. Even as brands recognised the spending power of Black and Brown audiences, they often engaged with these communities in ways that were exploitative or tokenistic, avoiding true representation. Being tokenistic is when someone or an agency pretends, they are helping a group of people treated unfairly in society, but their action is not meant to make lasting changes to how those people are treated. Firms like Promotions West were at the forefront of challenging these stereotypes and carving out space for more authentic representation. The industry still has work to do, but these early efforts laid the groundwork for a more inclusive future in media, public relations, marketing, promotions, and advertising. Every day, I wonder how Promotions West and I survived and accomplished so much.
Comments