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MP&F Celebrates Black History Month
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MP&F Celebrates Black History Month

By MP&F Staff

Reflecting on History
Brittany Irby
MP&F Account Supervisor, Diversity Committee Member

It’s February, which means that it is Black History Month (BHM)! This year marks 50 years since the first BHM celebration took place at Kent State University. This is a month to honor and acknowledge the contributions that black people have made in America. In honor of BHM, I challenge you all to reflect on that one “aha” moment that you might have had over these few weeks. You might ask yourself, what is an “aha” moment? Merriam-Webster describes it as a moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition or comprehension.

If you are still searching for that moment, don’t fear. There is plenty that you can experience before the month ends.

Let Nashville be your tour guide as you seek to dive into the historic and present-day contributions of African Americans.

Diversity & Inclusion – Embracing the Culture
Celeste Malone
Staff Associate, Diversity Committee Member

It’s no secret that diversity in the PR and communications industry is lacking tremendously. At MP&F, our Diversity and Inclusion Committee (D&I Committee) strives to create an environment where all thoughts, requests and perspectives are heard and respected, while also providing educational and intentional moments for the staff to grow and learn about others.

Through thoughtful research and planning, the committee implemented one of the first diversity fellowships in the area with the goal of exposing students to the world of agency communication while also bringing a new perspective into the office. Since the fellowship creation, we have graduated five students from the program and currently have a fellow on the MP&F team. Read more about our latest fellow, Lindsy Carrasquillo, in this newsletter.

In addition to the fellowship, members of the committee have presented at universities, sat on D&I panels, and conducted educational sessions with the entire staff. We have also launched a monthly internal newsletter titled The D&Igest, aimed at starting conversations within the office about diversity and inclusive practices and tactics.

Nashville grows more diverse every day, and we are committed to moving in the right direction along with our community.  

Q&A with Lindsy Carrasquillo
MP&F Diversity Fellow

Every year, MP&F welcomes a college senior, recent graduate or graduate student to join the staff as our Diversity fellow. Recently, we sat down with current fellow Lindsy Carrasquillo to talk about her background, social media and love for music.

What college did you go to, and what was your major?
LC: University of Florida. Originally I started in dual enrollment at Santa Fe College my senior year of high school. That same December, I got my associate degree, and from there I went on to major in journalism at University of Florida.

Favorite social media platform?
LC: Twitter. I think it’s ridiculously funny, and a lot happens at once. From a connection perspective, it’s really easy because I can find band members and musicians. It is a way to keep up with everyone without actively having to talk to people all the time.

Who is your favorite band, and why?
LC: It kind of changes, but I would have to say “Insignificant Other,” a band from Birmingham, Ala. They are the band that got me into music. It’s really cool because their first album came out in April of this year. They’ve had two records that came out before that. I recently saw them in Gainesville Fest, and my favorite song of theirs is “Brushes.”

Do you know someone who would be a good fit for the MP&F Diversity Fellowship?
Encourage them to apply now!

Looking for a perspective-broadening read?
Head on over to the Nashville Public Library and grab one of these MP&F staff favorites.

  1. Brittany Irby recommends: “The Darkest Child” by Delores Phillips
  2. Evan Wofford recommends: “The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni”
  3. Cole Miracle recommends: “If Beale Street Could Talk” by James Baldwin
  4. Ira Hughes recommends: “A Well Paid Slave” by Brad Snyder
  5. Celeste Malone recommends: “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas

Nashville History: 60 years ago, the sit-ins that sparked a movement
On Feb. 13, 1960, more than 100 young African Americans staged the very first demonstrations to desegregate Nashville lunch counters, the first organized efforts in the South. Read Jessica Bliss’ recent article on the sit-ins and view The Tennessean’s photo gallery here.