As a follow-up to the Top 25 African American PR Millennials series recently published in Huffington Post, Gwendolyn Quinn, writer and global media and communications strategist, partnered with Antonice Jackson, President of the National Black Public Relations Society’s Washington, D.C., Chapter (BPRS-DC), to release the “African American PR Millennials Spotify Playlist,” which includes music by some of the millennials’ favorite artists.
The playlist is sequenced by Will Coloan, also known as Brennan Williams, a producer of themed mixes and playlists. Coloan has curated music for a wide variety of entertainment, corporate and lifestyle projects, brands and events including the Black Portraiture Conference, presented in New York, Italy and South Africa; Misty Copeland’s Dance Tribute to Wynton Marsalis; and the African American Museum of Philadelphia’s 40th Anniversary Gala in honor of media trailblazers Cathy Hughes and Alfred Liggins, among numerous others.
“We are honored and grateful that Will Coloan gave so generously of his time and talent to the PR millennials,” said Quinn. “As one of the top music sequencers and mixers on the scene today, through this playlist, he has creatively elevated the story of the millennials to another level. As cliché as it sounds, music is the soundtrack of our lives and the heartbeat of our world. You can learn a lot about a person by the music they listen to and consume. Music is the one universal language that bonds and connects us. And as an extension to celebrating black PR millennials, we wanted to honor them in every way possible.”
Recently, Quinn and Jackson acknowledged the contributions and achievements of young African American communications professionals in the world of public relations. The Q&A profiles represented talent in a wide range of industries, including corporate, government, politics, health care, non-profit, entertainment and lifestyle, sports, fashion, beauty, faith-based, and special events. The selections made included PR professionals across the country and were based on the following criteria: top leader in his or her company or profession, influential in their industry and making positive contributions, forward thinkers, inspiring role models and mentors, and active in their communities and beyond.
The Top 25 African American PR Millennials series kicked off with Jackson of the National Black Public Relations Society’s Washington, D.C., Chapter; and continued with Kristal Howard of Kroger; Alex R. Hill II of Humble Hill Public Relations Firm; Imani Pope-Johns of Influplexity; Candice Nicole of Candice Nicole Public Relations; Alonda Thomas then with TV One, now with Howard University; Raven Robinson of PR2Politics; Pierre L. Canidateof Duke Energy; Syreta J. Oglesby of SJO Public Relations; Brittney Carter McKinnon of B. Carter Solutions, LLC; Jason Hardy of The J. Hardy Agency; Dreena Whitfield of WhitPR; Jenna Boyer of Marriott International; Alexia Baillow then with Ketchum Public Relations, now with MGM National Harbor; Vaughn Alvarez of CR8 Agency; Ashley N. Johnson of ANJPR Consulting, LLC; Allissa Cummings of the NFL Players Association; Marc Banks of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Incorporated; Ashley Simms of FleishmanHillard; Narcisse James of Coffee x Hustle; Brittni L. Brown of The Bee Agency; Ciara Brooks of Brooks PR Solutions; Kevin Williams of 4.0 Public Relations & Marketing; and Nia Rice and Megan Alston of Serene MGMT.
Jackson, who selected a majority of the millennials said, “I’m always about finding ways to bring attention to and uplift African American millennials. This series provided that opportunity. I’m happy that we were able to support our community in this way and hopefully by hearing the diverse stories, professionals in all industries will continue to be motivated to trust their journey and be great.”
A career publicist celebrating more than 25 years, Quinn has long supported the efforts of black public relations professionals through the African American Public Relations Collective (AAPRC), a platform she founded in 2001. The AAPRC had more than 1,000 public relations, communications and media specialists. Through that group, the associates networked and shared event information, employment leads, career development resources, vital links to media opportunities, and provided professional support to their peers.
“I have received so many responses from the millennials; who have reiterated how much they have been blessed through the series,” said Quinn. “Many of them have received new clients, projects, job offers and employment, among other opportunities. The truth is the millennials have blessed and inspired me through their talent, hard work, dedication, ambition, intellect and kindness. I’m very proud of them and I know they will go on to become change agents for the world.”
