*Today, public relations veteran and media strategist Gwendolyn Quinn announced the relaunch of Global Communicator, a monthly e-publication for people of color that features in-depth profiles of publicists, public relations and communications professionals, journalists, marketing and advertising executives, and content creators. The magazine is published on the Medium.com platform. Global Communicator covers a wide range of communicators whose careers span the worlds of politics, corporate, healthcare, television, film, sports, performing arts, music, education, faith-based, non-profit, fine/visual arts, brand development, book and magazine publishing, community relations/affairs, government, fashion, beauty, special events, and other specialized areas.
The premiere issue features Staci Hallmon, Senior Vice President and General Manager of BET Live and the BET Experience. Hallmon shares her journey from the recording industry to Time Inc. to Essence to BET. In an exclusive interview, Candace Sandy, a prominent political and communications crisis strategist, reveals her battle with COVID-19. Donna Walker-Kuhne, the founder and President of Walker International Communications Group, talks about Broadway, New York Theater, and the arts during the age of COVID-19. Bil Carpenter, the co-founder of Capital Entertainment, shares his career development through the worlds of music, history, politics, and journalism. Television producer Deborah Byrd, who is the founder and CEO of AK Blackbyrd Productions, talks about her journey from Alaska’s extreme cold and snowy weather to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
“We are honored to profile Staci, Candace, Donna, Bil, and Deborah, who happen to be some of my favorite colleagues and friends,” says Quinn, Chief Content Officer of the Global Communicator. “The purpose of relaunching the magazine is to put the spotlight on many of our sung and unsung friends and colleagues, who have inspired and empowered the global community. We want to recognize and celebrate our trailblazers for their outstanding and groundbreaking contributions in their fields. When we launched the magazine in 2004, our mission was to highlight professionals from a diverse sphere. Many of us have known each other for decades and there’s still so much more we don’t know about each other. We must document our stories; legacy matters.”
“Relaunching Global Communicator was one of the things on my list for 2020, and during this quarantine time, I couldn’t think of a better opportunity,” Quinn continues. “We are happy to welcome former Billboard and Essence editor Janine Coveney as our editing consultant and in the coming months, we also expect to add a few contributors to the team. For the remainder of this year, we plan to cover important issues that impact us all including healthcare, mental health, race, the financial crisis, and new business development, policing and criminal justice and reform, politics, and the elections.”
Global Communicator is a brand extension of the former African American Public Relations Collective (AAPRC), a community of black publicists and public relations, and communications professionals. The AAPRC is in the process of restructuring and will be renamed to a formal organization.
The magazine has previously profiled a who’s who of industry professionals including the late publishing giant and pioneer John H. Johnson, Ed Bradley, Gwen Ifill, and Pulitzer Prize winner Les Payne; along with award-winning journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault, media mogul Cathy Hughes, Soledad O’Brien, Robin Roberts, Carole Simpson, Ed Gordon, Tavis Smiley, Suzanne Malveaux, Johnnie Roberts, Farai Chideya, Jacque Reid, and Pulitzer Prize winner Clarence Page, among others. Some of the public relations professionals featured include the late Pat Tobin and Ofield Dukes; as well as Judy Smith, Terrie Williams, Marcy DeVeaux, Michael Lewellen, Alicia Evans, Robin Verges, Helen C. Shelton, and numerous others. Global Communicator also featured former publicist and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay.
“When we started Global Communicator, we had an amazing team of writers and contributors, including current advertising executive and creative writer Lynn Pitts, who wrote a majority of the stories; and Christy DeBoe Hicks, and Shawn Rhea, who contributed to one of our issues,” says Quinn. “I am grateful for their excellent writing, expertise, and shared vision. I would also like to thank and acknowledge Robyn Ryland-Sanders, who was there from the beginning and worked closely with the team on each issue.”
Gwendolyn Quinn is an award-winning communications strategist and consultant with a career spanning more than 25 years. As a contributor, she has penned stories for NBCNews.com, Black Enterprise, Essence.com, Huff Post, and EURWEB.com.
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