Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) should not be viewed as a niche area that should be relegated solely to DEI officers or practitioners. It is something everyone, no matter their field of work, should practice in every aspect of their lives so it becomes second nature. As communications professionals whose work touches people who have a myriad of identities, we have a responsibility to continually educate ourselves to make sure we do not perpetuate harm through our work. It is not enough to rely on our organization’s DEI team or colleagues from historically marginalized groups to help us write our messaging. Being proactive learners who truly get to know our audiences, the issues they care about and how they will respond to our messaging, or lack thereof, is paramount. In this session, participants will learn to examine their language to ensure they are not causing harm through their work. They will also learn steps they can take to craft DEI-minded communications. To put their learning into practice, participants will engage in 1-2 group writing exercises on various topics and discuss among themselves how effectively DEI was incorporated into their writing. They will also be provided with 1-2 writing samples to review and discuss why those samples are either solid or miss the mark. Participants will report out to the larger group what they learned from each exercise.