As vice president of communications at the NAACP, Dominic K. Hawkins II leads the organization’s integrated marketing and communications strategy to advance civil rights and social justice.
Named PRSA’s 2025 PR Professional of the Year, Hawkins has built a career at the intersection of advocacy and impact — guiding narratives that uplift communities and drive progress.
During the General Session today at PRSA’s ICON 2025 in Washington, D.C., Hawkins reflected on his journey from intern to industry leader and shared how a single question — “Why?” — has shaped his professional philosophy.
“When I got my start in this industry as an intern, I barely knew anything,” he said. “I was trained by a full-time associate — I used to ask him so many questions — chief among them, ‘Why?’ I’m sure I drove him crazy, but that’s when I first glimpsed the power of ‘Why.’”
That curiosity, Hawkins said, has guided his work across industries — from advancing social justice at the NAACP to helping close retirement gaps and improve health outcomes in diverse communities.
“All of it was fueled by an innate curiosity and a burning desire to communicate more efficiently, strengthen how we operate, and strive toward our goals,” he said.
He reminded attendees that change begins with challenge, and that in today’s complex communications landscape, “innovation demands disruption.”
“It’s that strategic curiosity that drives success in this career,” Hawkins said. “It’s our faculty for audience-consciousness that has broken down comms team silos and entrenched us deeper within organizations — not just as messengers, but as trusted advisers.”
Hawkins urged communicators to embrace new technologies, question assumptions, and lead transformation within their organizations.
“The future of this industry belongs to those who shake things up,” he said. “Look to the person next to you. Say, ‘Neighbor — you’re a disruptor!’”
He closed with a challenge to the profession: “Continue to ask ‘why.’ Continue to question. And continue to be great communicators.”
Here, Hawkins talks more about the power of asking “why.”
Photo: Albert Chau Photography
