Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Gurley.
Jasmine, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I chose public relations as my major during my junior year of high school and stuck with it through my college graduation. After graduating from North Carolina A&T, I moved to New Orleans as a 9th-grade Algebra teacher in Teach for America and was utterly enveloped by the city’s incredibly rich and resilient culture. Living there reignited my interest in interior design, which stems from my mother being an amateur designer and DIYer herself. When I was ready to move to Atlanta to start my PR career, I landed at an agency representing interior designers, architecture firms, plant breeders, building products, and home decor manufacturers. I haven’t left the industry since. Today, I get to make some of my wildest PR dreams come true at a Fortune 50 company as well as work with mission-based brands on business development, marketing and public relations initiatives through my consultancy, Sankofa Public Relations.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In my career, I’ve dealt with the usual suspects – racism, sexism and ageism – which made advocating for myself or my ideas a struggle in the early days. I’ve always been an observant listener, which has proven itself valuable. However, there were times when I had alternative thoughts to the group and did not say anything due to the fear of being perceived as “young and entitled” or “the combative black woman.” Some days I opted for the “pick your battles to win the war” approach and other days, I spoke my mind. No matter what comes my way, I refuse to act outside of my character and I stand true in my daily affirmations. Two of them are “do what you have to do now, so you can do what you want to do later” as well as “add value and deliver excellence.” Focus and continuous execution get me through every moment.
Please tell us about Sankofa Public Relations.
Outside of my day job, I run Sankofa Public Relations, where we “reach back to move the world forward,” representing mission-based, non-profit and social enterprise brands. We strive to make the world a better place by promoting those aiming to do the same.
I am proud of Sankofa PR because I can have an impact in a wide range of areas via my clients’ individual missions and passions. From brand development with an entrepreneurial empowerment clothing line to thought leadership positioning for a client looking to educate hairstylists and barbers on the science of hair loss to complete brand and business development for a network that aims to drive young, talented athletes to HBCUs, my mind has an influence in it all. That is something I can be proud of at all times.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory is simply the feeling of lightweight, carefree freedom of being a kid. I was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland. I was blessed to grow up in a mostly stable and healthy environment around a lot of middle-class, Black families, in addition to having a lot cousins within a close age range. The proximity to Black excellence at such a young age was a gift I didn’t recognize until I was teaching in the 9th Ward of New Orleans after college. I saw successful, Black professionals everywhere I went, which made it easy for me to envision the same for myself.
Back to the memories: I loved playing with friends in our cul-de-sac, riding bikes around the neighborhood, going on adventures in the woods or in DC with my cousins. We truly were The Rugrats. Leaving clean and coming home a hot, sweaty and – sometimes – a legitimately filthy mess. But it was FUN. God bless the 90s.
Also, the DC Caribbean Festival was THE TRUTH. IYKYK.
Contact Info:
- Website: sankofapr.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/sankofapr, instagram.com/sankofa_pr,
instagram.com/jasmine.gurley - Other: jasminegurley.com
Image Credit:
Image 1: Don Hansen Visuals, Image 2: Phil Page
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