The Chicken or the Egg? (Episode 50)

What comes first: presenting diversity in your event’s messaging and media when you don’t have full representation, or actually having a diverse representation of participants before publicizing? As in many of the topics we discuss, the answer is never straight forward. Putting out an image that portrays your race or event as more diverse than it actually is could be perceived as disingenuous, or even deceptive. However, if underrepresented groups never seem themselves reflected in your marketing materials it’s likely that they’ll feel that your event is not for them. So, which comes first, is it the chicken or the egg? Do we bring in diverse groups and then include them on our social media afterwards? Or do we project what we hope our event will become?

Even though the answers here aren’t always clear, what is clear is that we should be authentic and honest with this messaging. Ultimately, projecting the image of what we want our event to become can help us get there, but the messaging should portray this depth. It should create the narrative that, even though our sport or events are not as diverse as we’d like them to be, we are doing our best to get there. In doing so, it demonstrates authenticity and vulnerability, allows under-represented folks to see themselves in the marketing materials, and assures marginalized folks that the organization is prioritizing a welcoming atmosphere.

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