6 organizations black millennials need to know about if they're interested in marketing and advertising

the advertising and marketing industry lacks all types of melanin, that’s not a secret. It seems like brands are more interested in appropriating black culture than they are employing black people. but what they don’t understand is, you can’t create solutions for a target you neglect to employ. but if we are going to hold these brands and agencies accountable for bringing more people of color to the table, we gotta make sure that we are equipping our own to be successful in that room, ya know? so for all of those college aged people of color and recent graduates who are looking to break into the marketing and advertising field, this one is for you. i purposefully didn’t include application deadlines or links to the websites—if something interests you, do your research. 

6). the lagrant foundation 

established in 1998 to address the lack of diversity in the advertising, marketing and public relations fields. It provides scholarships, career development workshops, professional development, mentors and internships to african american/black, american indian/native american, asian american/pacific islander and hispanic/latino undergraduate and graduate students. internships consist of on-going, hands-on communications experience and training for at least a three-month period.

5). most promising multicultural students program

connects the advertising industry with the nation’s top multicultural college seniors and provides opportunities to recruit fresh talent to help the advertising and media workforce better reflect the diversity of today's society. the program takes place over four days and includes professional development workshops, agency visits and a recruiter’s expo.

4). louis carr foundation 

provides 10 paid internships in communications to undergraduate students of color during the summer immediately following their freshman, sophomore or junior year of college. their mission is two fold; to give highly motivated minority students, who could not afford to take non-paying summer internships, a chance to get career-building experiences in top communications companies while earning needed money for college and to help companies to identify, recruit, and maintain a more multicultural workforce.

3). multicultural advertising intern program 

leads an industry evolution by providing the highest quality, diverse talent and to provide the advertising industry with unparalleled, developed diverse talent. in addition to a full-time paid internship, maip fellows participate in a series of agency tours and agency sponsored professional development workshops and seminars, which provide a deeper dive into the various advertising and media disciplines.

2). adcolor futures

dedicated to identifying and nurturing the next generation of leaders in the advertising, marketing, media, and public relations industries. it offers sponsorship to attend the adcolor conference & awards, career training through adcolor university, as well as short and long term mentorship.

1). marcus graham project 

bootcamp experience geared toward investing in the exposure, training and mentorship of the next generation of talent. founded in 2007, the marcus graham project is a network of diverse professionals that have found passion in our purpose – developing the next generation of thought leadership within the media and marketing industry.