DBP Members Celebrate Black History Month 2021

Bridgette Scales, MBA, SPHR Bio

Bridgette Scales is a Senior Director, Member Relationship Advisor at Seramount.

A former DBP member, Bridgette is experienced in Sales and HR and became a Diversity and Inclusion subject matter expert during her long tenure at Procter & Gamble.

She has a history of developing and implementing strategies, programs and processes across a complex and matrix organization.

As a D&I Practice leader for North America, Bridgette guided and counseled senior leaders on the integration of strategies that included awareness, cultural competency, leadership development, accountability and employee engagement.

This led to better processes to identification of high potential employees, reduction in attrition rates of minorities and increased D&I scores on the corporate employee survey.

She was responsible for aligning D&I strategy with corporate image & reputation by leading initiatives, events and programs with external partners. This included applying best practices and global benchmarking to accelerate inclusion efforts, leadership behaviors, and policy changes. Other responsibilities included refining investment strategies to deliver uniquely defined value, and publicly represented the company at national D&I forums and conferences.

Her most recent leadership role was at American Airlines, as the HR Business Partner for Customer Experience. Bridgette was responsible for collaborating on People policies, talent management, career development, succession planning, departmental training initiatives and aligning employee strategies with American Airline business goals.

Bridgette has served on the Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council for The Conference Board, previous member of the Network of Executive Women (NEW), and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

She earned her MBA from the University of Phoenix, a BA from the University of Oklahoma and her Senior HR Professional certification through HRCI.

Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Learn more about her work, here.

AbbVie

To celebrate Black History Month, BBN is bringing people together via various new and updated content that highlight and amplify both Black members and majority allies across the spectrum from authors, creators, storytellers, and businesses.

Black history month’s goal is and will always be to bring awareness to the mainstream and hidden figures from our history to pay homage to their sacrifice while seeking an opportunity to look back to move forward. We will accomplish this by a series of live, prerecorded and virtual content designed to elevate cultural competency and shed light on Black Americans’ resiliency.

While the entire month is dedicated to black history, the content is enduring and applicable for anyone with a desire to learn, apply and share thoughts on social justice, racial equality, and navigating difficult conversations. The BBN asks each ERG member and every employee to attend as many events as your schedule will allow and have follow-up discussions within your workgroups.

jj class= — Allstate and Baxter joint BHM event.
Allstate

Allstate

We have several events sponsored by Allstate’s African American Working Network employee resource group during the month of February.

The main program is co-sponsored with Discover and Baxter employee resource groups (as seen in the photo).

Baxter

The Baxter Black Alliance (BBA) business resource group has planned several exciting events and activities in celebration Black History Month. Below are a few of the highlights:

Podcast and Informational Toolkit

BBA launched the Baxter Leadership Spotlight podcast to give leaders throughout the organization an opportunity to discuss their diverse backgrounds and the stories behind the careers they’ve built.
BBA created an informational toolkit offering inspiration and resources for Baxter employees to celebrate black history around the world.

Move-A-Thon Supporting National Kidney Foundation

In the U.S. BBA got an early start by hosting a Virtual Move-A-Thon on January 18, as part of Baxter’s Martin Luther King Day of Service. Although a holiday for U.S. employees, everyone was encouraged to use it as a Day On, not a Day Off. Proceeds from the Move-A-Thon benefited the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois, to support patients, families and communities in the fight against kidney disease.
Van Jones – The Road to Racial Justice

On February 17, Baxter, Allstate, and Discover will co-host a virtual fireside chat featuring American author and news commentator Van Jones.

About the Baxter Black Alliance

The Baxter Black Alliance (BBA) business resource group serves as a business partner to help save and sustain lives in the Black patient community, and to support the recruitment, engagement and advancement of Baxter’s Black talent globally. BBA is also a key collaborator in Activating Change Today, Baxter’s multidimensional and multiyear initiative to advance inclusion and racial justice.

Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim’s National African Heritage Business Resource Group (AHBR) is planning three activities of interest:

1. On February 1st we will kick off a Black History Knowledge Enrichment Activity that will run for 4 weeks to the end of February where each Monday on our U.S. wide intranet site, there will be 3 to 4 questions posted which colleagues can view and submit their answers to be entered in a weekly drawing of correct submission for the 4 weeks.

The correct answers will be shared the following Monday when the new questions for that week are posted. The prize will be a gift bag of BI branded items. We did this last year for the 1st time and had almost 1,000 visits.

The 4 weeks topics are:
a. Week #1 – African American Arts
b. Week #2 – Political History
c. Week #3 – Major Historical Event
d. Week #4 – Local / Hidden Influences

2. On February 19th the AHBR will host a U.S. wide webinar featuring a Development Panel focused on – Navigating Corporate Culture and the Importance of Your Network.

This one hour event will have colleagues from our Leadership Development & training Team as well as Organizational Development Team who will moderate a panel of 3 leaders from our Animal Health and Human Pharmaceuticals business units who all happen to be the Sponsors of the AHBR BRG.

3. To close out Black History Month, SVP & Head, U.S. Human Resources Jamie Eden is hosting a fireside chat with U.S. based AHBR members. The intent of this discussion will be to listen and learn, inquire on their experience at BI and ways to improve a sense of belonging for colleagues.

We will also share and seek feedback on the Upstander approach BI has been leveraging internally and externally since it launched in June of 2020. This format will be used to host future fireside chats with leaders and members from our 12 National Business Resource Groups.

Element Fleet Management

At Element Fleet Management we’ve planned weekly engagements centering on the theme of Living History led by our Black Employee Business Resource Group (BE BRG).

Week 1: Lunch and Learn on BE BRG and history of BHM
Week 2: Democracy Today: Stacy Abrams movie screening and discussion – All In: The Fight for Democracy
Week 3: Unrest in the community and moving forward panel discussion
Week 4: Moving Forward: Black living history summary and open reflection

Fifth Third Bank

Fifth Third Bank has long emphasized diversity and inclusion, and in December, the Bank announced a $2.8 billion investment to accelerate racial equality, equity and inclusion. Although the plan focuses on creating equitable outcomes for all, it has a specific emphasis on Black Americans, including Fifth Third’s employees, customers and communities.

The Bank recognizes Black History Month each February and honors the contributions made by Black Americans through history. In celebration of this year’s Black History Month, our regional and Enterprise African American business resource groups have planned a robust array of events, activities and virtual engagements that will highlight the rich history of Black culture, achievement and excellence. Most regional BRGs have planned engagements with executive leaders via fireside chats and conversations on key topics that impact Black lives every day. Additional unique activities planned include:

In Cincinnati, where Fifth Third is headquartered, Greg Carmichael, the Bank’s chairman and CEO, will lead a group of executive leaders in a conversation on efforts that are underway at the Bank regarding accelerating racial equality, equity and inclusion.
A Black History Month challenge has been created to celebrate Black leaders every day of the month from disciplines including arts, sports, literature, activism and STEM.
Collaboration with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit will feature the museum’s virtual exhibition of artifacts, history and stories from the Underground Railroad.
An essay contest for students who participated in the Fifth Third Eastern Michigan Young Bankers Club® program. The students are asked to describe what Black History Month means to them.
Collaborating with the Urban League to share financial literacy information at one of the organization’s events.
Employees will participate in the Hidden History virtual event hosted by the Frazier History Museum in Kentucky. The event will feature stories of notable Kentuckians who have not been historically recognized for their contributions and achievements.
Health and wellness sessions that highlight mental health and community service projects in several cities across Florida.
Fireside virtual chat with Black Bank leaders to learn more about their current roles, career journeys and perspectives regarding professional development.
Partnering with United Black Fund to host a webinar about financial resources and Paycheck Protection Program loans to help small business owners.
Hosting virtual “Wind Down Wednesdays” that will feature local chefs, food, musicians and artists.

To learn more about inclusion and diversity at Fifth Third, please visit the Inclusion & Diversity page on our website, 53.com.

Guidewell

Here is a list of what the ASPIRE community group, which is dedicated to people of color, is doing to recognize and celebrate Black History Month:

2/1: Daily Black History Month Facts
2/5: Black History Virtual Trivia Game (All day)
2/12: Black History Virtual Trivia Game (All day)
2/18: Poetry Jam ( a virtual event via Zoom) (1- 2pm)
2/24: Black Heart Health Matters Forum with American Heart Association and Dr. Kalina Sanders, a board-certified neurologist at Baptist Health
Baptist Health and Dr. Kelli Tice, Wells (Senior Medical Director) – Time: 11:30 – 1
2/26: Black History Virtual Bingo Game (11-1)

Hancock Whitney

During BHM, Hancock Whitney will highlight the rich cultural influences and invaluable contributions from the African American community in a commissioned virtual art exhibit entitled “The Things We Do for Ourselves:

African American Civic Leadership in the Crescent City” that celebrates the leadership and historical significance of Black New Orleanians from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s.

This virtual art exhibit was created in partnership with the Amistad Research Center, a preservatory of America’s ethnic and racial history, the African Diaspora, human relations, and civil rights archives.

HCSC

HCSC has several activities taking place in celebration of Black History Month.

Our African Americans In Motion (AAIM) BRG, who empower members to develop skills and leadership capabilities in support of business efforts and community involvement, will be hosting these events.

Additionally, HCSC will send out company-wide communications and leverage technology to engage employees in the activities taking place throughout the month. Below is a list of virtual activities planned in celebration of Black History Month.

Fill the Pantry Food Drive: The AAIM BRG will work throughout the month of February to fill the pantries of community food banks in their respective states including IL, OK, NM, MT and TX. Food bank services are in demand due to high levels of unemployment as a result of the pandemic. AAIM recognizes this need and is joining efforts to be part of the solution.
Destroying the Myths: A Candid Discussion about Mental Health and the African American/Black Community. This event will focus on myths associated with mental health and offer practical tips to overcoming misconceptions surrounding mental health within the African American/Black community. The session will examine mental health statistics, discuss common biases that impact the likelihood of them seeking treatment and share everyday approaches to improving mental health and overall well-being for this population.
Healthy Soul: This lunch time cooking demonstration will combine food, health, wellness and awareness by offering cooking and health tips to combat the disparate cardiovascular disease rates that African American/Black Americans face.
Career Vision: Addressing Unconscious Bias. An engaging panel discussion featuring HCSC leaders will explore the concept of unconscious bias and how unconscious beliefs and stereotypes influence our actions and decisions when interacting with other people. The conversation will also explore ways to reduce unconscious bias in the workplace.
A Culture of Distrust: Communities of Color and COVID-19. This conversation will focus on how COVID-19 has disproportionally impacted communities of color and how health and economic disparities have contributed to the issue. A portion of the conversation will be dedicated to exploring vaccination truths as well as answering questions and addressing concerns about the vaccine.
An AAIM BRG leader will be featured as part of Black History Month communications. The article, shared across social media networks, will highlight the work of the BRG leader and HCSC’s AAIM chapters.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield

For Black History Month our Black Professional Affinity Group will host their annual celebration (virtual this year) for all employees and feature Dr. Cornel West, philosopher, political activist, social critic, author, and public intellectual.

Dr. West will discuss the theme of BHM for 2021, The Black Family.

Howmet

Howmet Aerospace has a weekly focus throughout the Black History Month celebrating achievements, telling stories and give voice to social injustice and racism.

Week 1:

Inventions and Innovations – led by Black People
Black people as crafts persons and technicians
Technology that Changed our World
Patent Leaders – Granville Woods, Carter G. Woodson

Week 2:

Social Change and Justice
Black Wall Street /Tulsa Riots
Social Justice Marches 2020 (BLM)
Organization Leaders – NAACP, CORE, National Action Network, Black Panthers

Week 3:

Education
HBCU overview/history
Higher Education Statistics
Education Firsts – 1st PhD, First HBCU

Webinar: “How We Got Here – America’s Racial History”

Week 4:

Business & Leadership
NSBE Facts
NBMBA Facts
Business/Leader Firsts – 1st Black CEO, First Black Female CEO

Webinar: “Diversity Consciousness – Challenging Racial Beliefs”

In addition to these company wide initiatives, a number of sites are planning community volunteering activities to support non profit organizations working on social inequity in their Black communities.

HP heads into Black History Month having just launched an external Racial and Social Equality webpage, sharing the company’s philosophy and work to fight systemic racism and injustice. For information, visit: https://www8.hp.com/us/en/hp-information/about-hp/diversity/racial-equality.html.

HP is committed to embracing a culture that is not only against racism, but is actively anti-racist, and to using HP’s platform, technology, and resources as a force for positive change.

HP’s theme for Black History Month 2021 is “Embrace the journey – progress has no finish line.”

The month’s activities will focus on celebrating, connecting and collaborating.

HP will kick off Black History Month with an all employee email from Chief Diversity Officer, Lesley Slaton Brown. HP’s goal for Black History Month and beyond is to challenge people to increase their cultural competency and level of understanding to strengthen HP’s culture of inclusion.

In support of this, HP is offering a wide variety of Black History Month events and activities planned to engage, educate and inspire our employees. These include:

Speaker and panel events to increase awareness and foster courageous conversations on inclusion.

Topics include:

Conversation with keynote speaker Marty Rodgers from Accenture on corporate masking and the importance of bringing one’s whole self to work.
Panel of HP employees advocating for racial equity and investing in efforts to break down barriers and ignite change. They will share why they got involved in racial justice initiatives and encourage others to do the same.
HP employees will share the origins and importance of Greek organizations such as Divine 9 and Pan-Hellenic Council. This event will also kick off a celebration of stepping, which will conclude later in the month with a virtual step show by HP employees.
Discussion with managers on ways to ensure inclusion in hiring and developing diverse talent.

Articles on the internal daily news feed — With HP’s focus on reinventing mindsets, mitigating unconscious bias, and advocating for racial justice, HP will feature articles:

Educating employees about Black History Month and its origin and significance.
Informing employees about HP’s programs and initiatives supporting Blacks / African Americans, including an update on the progress of our Racial Equality Task Force.
Sharing real, impactful stories about those making a difference at HP and in their communities.

Black History Month themed Zoom virtual backgrounds employees can use to bring awareness to Black History Month.

JLL

During the month of February, JLL will run a social media and internal campaign featuring employee stories and videos to celebrate Black History Month.

JLL’s Empower Black Professionals Network (BPN) Business Resource Group will also host a series of virtual events open to our Americas employees, including:

Celebrating Black Women in the C-Suite, Entrepreneurship and Activism featuring guest speaker Andrea Zopp. This event will highlight the path of success of Andrea while discussing her views on the current economy, women in leadership and diversity & inclusion.
Black Excellence in the Military in partnership with JLL’s VetNet Business Resource Group. This event will focus on Black Veterans within the firm and will include an interview on the value of hiring Veterans.
Black Pioneers in CRE in partnership with JLL’s Supplier Diversity team. This webinar will highlight important people and historical moments and feature an engaging panel with some of commercial real estate’s top Black executives.
Celebrating HBCUs and Their Impact. This webinar will feature JLL employees and graduates of HBCUs to discuss their experience attending a HBCU and how it’s prepared them for the corporate workplace.
Coming Together: A conversation about challenges facing Black talent in the workplace in partnership with JLL’s Learning and Leadership Development team. This 60-minute training session features a discussion on removing barriers, allyship and inclusion for Black talent at JLL.

IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will kick off this year’s Black History Month by distributing a blog featuring suggested activities to our Diversity Reference Groups (equivalent to ERGs).

These activities will span the month of February and highlight what Black History Month means, why it matters to everyone, and reasons to celebrate.

In mid-February, the IMF’s Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva will host a virtual town hall meeting, featuring guest speaker Carla Harris, Vice Chairman, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley, on Racial Equity and Justice in the Workplace. The town hall will be followed a few weeks later by a more in-depth discussion and exchange on the same topic between Ms. Harris and Fund Senior Managers.

The Diversity & Inclusion Office will host a further virtual event to reflect on Martin Luther King’s life, leadership and pursuit of racial and social justice for all.

Major, Lindsey & Africa/Allegis Partners

Here is how Major, Lindsey & Africa/Allegis Partners is recognizing Black History Month:

Social Media Features of members of the African American Recruiters ERG throughout the month
Resource Guide for Employees (Internal)
Newsletter featuring Black History Month (Internal)
Third Annual Celebration of Mansfield Rule -The Intersection of Social Justice, Law and Professional Sports- February 25 (External)
The COVID-19 Vaccine and the African American Community: An Honest Conversation about History and Health- February 16 (Internal)
Courageous Conversations Series: Unconscious Bias (Atlanta Office)- February 11

Merck

The League of Employees of African Descent (LEAD), is Merck’s first Employee Business Resource Group (EBRG) and last year celebrated 50 years.

LEAD’s initial mission is long standing and relevant today; To increase and strengthen the pipeline of leaders of African descent and leverage the collective cultural insights from members to drive innovation and performance.

LEAD’s mission is realized through its three pillars, Company (Business Insights), Career (Talent Acquisition and Development) and Connection (Internal Networking and Social Responsibility), all driven with a Purpose.

This Black History Month, LEAD will celebrate embracing the national black history month theme, “The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity.”

LEAD has planned a month filled with a series of robust events celebrating the rich heritage of the Black Family. These events will not only provide a great opportunity to energize their target membership but also strengthen the connection with their Allies.

On February 3rd LEAD will host their Black History Month virtual kick-off celebration, The Black Family and Health: It Takes a Village. The kickoff will be headlined by Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor of Health Policy and Health Equity at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of Merck’s diverse Board of Directors.

The event will also feature Dr. Evelyn Higginbotham, the Victor S. Thomas Professor of History and of African and African American studies at Harvard University, and the National President of the Association for the Study of African American Life. This organization was founded b Carter G. Woodson in 1915 and each year establishes the theme for Black History Month.

Last year LEAD launched a formal allyship program the Allies of LEAD will host an event closing out the first week that will focus on the importance of establishing and
expanding allyship within families. Allyship at Home: Being an ally means being vigilant at home and other nonwork settings. This can be difficult for some, however our allies believe “If you are not telling them its wrong then you are telling them its right.” This session will be informative and share strategies to educate and manage difficult conversations.

During the month LEAD will have weekly Black History Month Employee Spotlights, designed to allow individuals to share their perspective on family as source of inspiration and motivation, including how the pandemic and recent social unrest has helped strengthen the identity and foundation of their family. The spotlights will be shared internally and externally.

Pennsylvania Senator, Vincent Hughes, will visit with LEAD for an event that will discuss many hot topics, including support of the Life-Sciences industry and the pandemic.

LEAD’s capstone of Black History Month will be “Family Week.” This final week will focus on “Fortifying the Black Family for the Future,” offering daily events with topics including remote education, college selection, financial planning and the importance of Family Time with family friendly activities. This week will end with LEAD hosting its well attended “Community Conversations”. These have been held on Fridays since June when the community needed a psychologically safe place to speak up and connect in community.

In addition to these enterprise wide events, LEAD’s 8 US Chapters have planned local Black History Month events to support their own local Merck communities. These include virtual cooking classes, speakers, movie dialogues, book clubs, and STEM programming for students.

MongoDB

To celebrate Black History Month, members of TUPOC, MongoDB’s affinity group for people of color — will highlight Black luminaries via daily posts in the #black-history Slack channel, a channel that’s open year-round but is especially active in February.

TUPOC will also honor Black History Month by hosting a company-wide event, a trivia night, share posts on social media, and all employees will have access to DBP’s event celebrating Black History.

Learn more about what Black History Month means to members of TUPOC at MongoDB by viewing this video.

Nasdaq

To celebrate Black History Month, Nasdaq’s Global Link of Black Employees (GLOBE) will host virtual events, discussions, and social gatherings to elevate awareness of our communities’ topics of interest.

The focus of Black History Month at Nasdaq this year is Black Entrepreneurship. Nasdaq GLOBE events showcase experts who demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit of innovation, professionalism, and success in their fields.

You can check out the Nasdaq Black History Month page to see how Nasdaq amplifies Black voices by recognizing entrepreneurs who worked toward a better tomorrow.

Additionally, all Diversity Best Practices members are invited to join the GLOBE network and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center for a riveting program titled, The Founder’s Leadership Series with Arlan Hamilton of Backstage Capital on February 25th, 2021 at 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST.

Click here to register!

Neustar

Neustar, a global information services and technology company, joins the nation in celebrating Black History Month with events and resources aimed to celebrate Black culture and honor the many contributions made by Blacks and African Americans.

Throughout February, Neustar’s Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Council will sponsor events as part of the Company’s commitment to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace that enables individuals to achieve their greatest potential and bring their whole selves to work every day.

Some of the events and programs include:

Neustar Gives Back: As part of its D&I Corporate Social Responsibility mission, Neustar, through its donation matching program Neustar Gives Back, has committed to taking positive actions by giving and volunteering time to racial and social justice efforts to drive change and equity both internally and externally.

In celebration of Black History Month, the Company will highlight the following during its month-long campaign:

100 Black Men of America
Equal Justice Initiative
The Sphinx Organization
Leadership Conference Education Fund Inc.
The HBCU Foundation, Inc.
National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs
National Council of Negro Women Inc
The National Organization of Concerned Black Men
Progressive Black Men Inc.
A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund

Dedicated Black History Month Resource Site: Neustar launched an internal Black History Month education and resource site, including trivia, events, history, resources, books, films, and other information to help its employees increase cultural competencies and awareness.

Social Media: Throughout the month, the Company will post educational, cultural, and awareness content on its internal and external-facing social media channels.

D&I Speaker Series: The introduction of its speaker series will support candid dialogue, provide insight into inspirational stories of individual achievements, and highlight company strategies that will increase employee awareness on various Diversity & Inclusion topics. Neustar is proud to welcome Boston Scientific’s Camille Chang Gilmore, Vice President, Human Resources & Global Chief Diversity Officer, who will share Boston Scientific’s D&I journey and resulting benefits.

Launch of Employee Resource Groups and NeuBUILD: Throughout February, employees will be educated on the benefits of Employee Resource Groups (ERG) and encouraged to support its first ERG, NeuBUILD (Blacks United for Inclusion, Leadership & Development).

To conclude Black History Month activities, the ERG will launch during a virtual organization-wide celebration on February 26th. The event will include special remarks by Neustar’s Chief Executive Officer, Charlie Gottdiener, internal and external speakers, videos, and a call to action by the ERG Management committee and executive sponsor.

These first steps are fundamental to helping Neustar realize its vision to create an anti-racist, inclusive, and equitable workplace. The Company looks forward to sharing progress on its journey to encompass more diverse backgrounds, cultures, thinking styles, experiences, and perspectives into its organization.

Northern Trust

Throughout the month of February, the Black Business Resource Council (BBRC) is commemorating Black History Month with the theme of Discussing Intersectionality.

During a pivotal point in time where racial justice and equity is a focus for our community, we will be sharing content and engaging in discussions to broaden our partner’s awareness and ignite curiosity about how to contribute to a more inclusive culture at our organization.

While we will celebrate the achievements of Black pioneers who played key roles in American history and culture, we also want to recognize the important contributions of our Black employees. Our partner stories this month will highlight the personal and professional intersectionality that exists across all of our communities.

We will send out daily Black History Month facts to kick off the month followed by a virtual fireside conversation with the BBRC’s Sponsors who will discuss their personal and professional experiences of being black.

To highlight the intersectionality between our BBRC and NT Pride (LGBTQ+) BRC, we will feature member stories on intersectionality and to fully understand their identity and lived experiences.

We have a few more virtual events planned, including with one of our business units to discuss how they incorporate Diversity, Equity & Inclusion into their business strategy.

Novartis

Week #1: Virtual Art Gallery and Jazz Band Performance

Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at Artists’ creations and the history of the Novartis art gallery. Enjoy the fine art, fine music, and live interaction with artists Alonzo Adams and Lavett Ballard.

Welcome: Marion Brooks, VP & Head US D&I
Hosted by AACE Leadership
Virtual Art Tour Host: Joanne Del Rio
Musical Guest: Soulful Sounds
Artists: Alonzo Adams & Lavett Ballard

Thursday, February 4, 2021,12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST

Week #2: “Out of Breath” – Asthma Disparities in the African American Community

Join us for a lively panel discussion in partnership with the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) as we highlight disparities in the care of asthma and how Novartis is helping to address them.

Welcome: Jason Young, VP & Head of Xolair
Moderators: Kenyona Nickens and Stephen Sealey, AACE Leadership
Panel: Nayla Mumneh, MD – Medical Director, Respiratory, Kenny Mendez – CEO and President, AAFA , Tori – Patient, Voices of Inspiration, Kevin Perry – Chair, Respiratory Diversity & Inclusion Council

Monday, February 8, 2021, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EST

Week #3: LinkedIn to Ignite Your Growth – Networking Event

Please join leaders from various business units as they share their personal career journeys. Network, learn how to navigate your own career path by leveraging LinkedIn and “Be Curious” rotations, and gain a new understanding of the importance of mentoring.

Welcome and Moderator: Tiffany Woodson, Sr Oncology Specialist, Solid Tumor
Presenters: Pedro Menendez-Manjon, Director P&O, Respiratory, ERC & Innovation, Devin Lawton, AD, P&O Business Partner, CDMA & Legal, Sandy Avery, AD, P&O Business Partner, CRM

Panelists:
Rodney Emerson, Exec Director of Pricing & Contracts (Sandoz BD&L)
Vinessa Pearson, AD Strategic Partnerships PSS
Tim Barnett, Regional Director, Systems of Care
Celeste Lynn, Director, Diversity & Inclusion
Wanda Sims, Director, Diversity & Inclusion
Toby Bonagura, Director, Gross to Net Finance – Sandoz
Vanessa Adams, Associate Director, Diversity & Inclusion (Former Be Curious Rotator)
Lindsey Flinn, Specialist, Oncology (Grow Together Field Rotator)
Monica Watson, Head of Employment Law Global -Oncology
LoriBeth Westbrook, Director ERC CRM/Resp Franchise Advisor
Marissa Brock, Associate Director, HCP Marketing – Entresto
Gene M. Hughes, Associate Director, Regional Account Management – Oncology
Laura Pinkett, Director, Consumer Marketing – Xiidra

Thursday, February 18, 2021, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Week #4: Healing Past Wounds and Building Allyship: Moderated discussion with the authors of “Gather at the Table”

Join us as Sharon Morgan, a black descendant of American enslaved people, and Thomas Norman DeWolf, a white descendant of a famous slave-trading family, discuss their three-year travels tracking the roots of racism. They will reveal their journey and discuss the importance of allyship, and how they forged a lasting bond.

Welcome: Ola-Victor Moyegun and Teletha Brown, AACE Leadership
Moderator: Tanya Kauffman, Senior Paralegal, Sandoz
Keynote Speakers: Sharon Morgan & Thomas DeWolf

Thursday, February 25, 2021, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST

nVent

Here are nVent’s events for Black History Month:

*Social Media Posts – BHM inventors – 1 per week on all channels

First Week:

Global Launch Email to all employees
Announces that nVent is celebrating Black History Month
A full landing page on our internal platform
History, Call to Action, resources, education, videos, book recommendations, employee stories
Adding BHM to employees’ signature block for February
Save the date & link to my nVent highlights, activities, and ERG info

Second Week:

All employee invite: PANEL DISCUSSION – Diversity Best Practices — Jeffery Smith and Bridgette Scales on Being Black in America
Weekly meetings inviting people to join a newly forming Black/African American ERG
Wednesday, February 24th – FIRESIDE CHAT – with Jerry Burris, Board member
Launching our first Black Employee Resource Group

Prudential Financial

Black History Month observances:

HBCU Summit

2021 has been said to be the year to “reset” and that’s exactly how Prudential Financial’s Black Leadership Forum business resource group is approaching its recognition of Black History Month. A reset to renew and reenergize the company’s longstanding diversity commitments to create a much more equitable future. With a focus on diverse talent, this February, the BLF will partner with Prudential’s Talent Acquisition group to introduce an inaugural two-day HBCU Summit for prospective young talent.

BLF will also launch employee spotlights of top Black talent. The BLF will celebrate Black History Month as a starting point to deepen its commitment to its strategic goals throughout 2021 and look to: (1) advance and accelerate top Black talent (2) uplift and inclusive the company culture and (3) influence’s Prudential’s impact in the marketplace.

February 24 – Removing barriers to wealth building

Throughout the month, Prudential will host several programs focused on financial wellness within the Black community. As part of the company’s focus on improving access, awareness and connection with Black consumers, Prudential will host a virtual panel that explores the historical context on the creation of the financial divide and its impact on Black America.

Participants will discuss trends, programs and advances that are helping to dismantle systemic barriers and are driving progress toward financial inclusion. The panels themes are Addressing Systemic Barriers and Partnering with Faith-Based/Community organizations.

The Basics of Saving and Investing

Additionally, Prudential Financial will also continue its partnership with dfree® to offer the Pathways financial wellness series. As the only faith-based, wealth building system specifically designed with the black community in mind, dfree® delivers access to financial freedom.

These virtual seminars are designed to help members learn new behaviors and adopt healthy financial practices that help them face their financial future with confidence.

Retail Business Services

In 2020, Retail Business Services formed the Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity for Black Associates (EDGE) BRG. This BRG has a high level of engagement among its members and has accomplished a great deal since its recent launch.

We’re eager to see all the great things EDGE brings to our organization and associates in 2021. Below is an outline of the content it has planned for Retail Business Services to celebrate Black History Month this February.

Throughout the month, we will highlight Black inventors and pioneers, with a special focus on innovators in the service and grocery industries. We will share this on our company intranet, as well as Twitter and LinkedIn.
We are going to leverage our Communications team to do an associate feature once a week where we will have associates of different races and ethnicities speak to the importance of celebrating Black History Month.
We will share one Soul Food recipe each week on our company intranet, Twitter and LinkedIn pages, encouraging associates to try these delicious, traditional meals.
We will share, via our Communications team, a Black Culture Toolkit for associates’ use and reference throughout the month. It will be comprised of curated content from our EDGE BRG members featuring educational resources, information, video links, recommended readings and movies on prevalent topics, including this year’s Black History Month Theme: The Black Family.
We have hired a performer, Mike Walley, who will deliver a one-man show: “Blood Done Signed My Name.” This is the true story of a young Army veteran whose pregnant wife was murdered by three white men in 1970. These men were all acquitted of this crime by an all white jury, despite testimony by two black eyewitnesses.
Our Communications team will share links to museums of black history and culture so our associates and their families can take virtual tours and learn together.
We will have a virtual lunch-and-learn poetry reading and spoken word event where EDGE BRG members will share their voices with us.
Our Supplier Diversity Manager is hosting a Black Pitch Program where we will bring in Black-owned vendors each day of that week to have a pitch session for their business with key stakeholders across Ahold Delhaize USA’s brands in effort to increase supplier diversity and awareness.
Lastly, we are hiring a motivational speaker for a “Fireside Chat” to speak on the value of diversity and inclusion, as well as overcoming adversity.

Shake Shack

We have some exciting plans for celebrating Black History Month at Shake Shack! Our Black ERG, which officially launched last summer, will help us celebrate this important month for the first time as a company! The ERG chose to rally around the national theme this year, The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity.
We will spotlight Black members of our Shake Shack family throughout the month on our intranet through videos and written features.

We are excited to tell the stories of our team members in authentic and heartfelt ways.

Externally, we will highlight Black partners on our social media channels who are extensions of our family due to our collaborative business relationships. We hope to raise the visibility for these individuals and their brands while further underscoring Shake Shack’s commitments to the Black community.

Lastly, we will host a fireside chat with the Deputy Director of Community Education from the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), Kiara Boone, to help our team members continue their education efforts about the lived experiences of minority communities.

Shake Shack donated $100,000 to EJI last year in the wake of the George Floyd murder and the subsequent push for justice reform. We are continuing our partnership with this educational opportunity. The program will be live, and all employees are invited to attend.

Additional educational materials highlighting the work of EJI, the purpose of Black History Month, famous Black Americans, and more will be posted to the intranet throughout the month for our team members to access.

Sodexo

This past year Sodexo reaffirmed its commitment to address racism and inequality by providing enriching learning and a variety of resources to support its employees while reestablishing the Diversity Leadership Council whose first charge was to increase Supplier Diversity.

For close to two decades AALF (African American Leadership Forum) Employee Business Resource Group has been at the forefront, a close partner to the Office of Diversity to inspire leaders and engage allies. Recent trainings, townhall meetings, and listening sessions are providing forums for African Americans and Black employees to share perspectives that have been valuable for the organization at large.

Black History Month provides an opportunity to reinforce and advance these efforts. During February, employees were invited to take weekly actions to promote equality and allyship including a “Straight Talk Series” where employees have the opportunity to engage in courageous conversations important to the African American and Black community within the organization.

In collaboration with The Winters Groups, Sodexo released “Let’s Talk About Race” video and reflection guide. This self-paced resource enables employees to process their own racial identity. Several leaders engaged their social media channels to express their support and commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Intact teams are advancing this topic through “Diversity Moments,” and dialogues. For example, our Communication Team initiated a deep discussion after watching “True Justice” a documentary with Bryan Stevenson highlighting the inequities within the criminal justice system.

US Cellular

At UScellular, we are celebrating Black History Month with a festive banner graphic featured in a prominent location on our company intranet site for all associates to see in addition to the following virtual engagement and events:

Annual Black History Month Art Contest –

UScellular in conjunction with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America are hosting our Annual Black History Month Art Contest. Our Network of Black Associates resource group organizes this effort nationally in the local communities where we do business. The contest honors the many contributions of Black men and women and encourages young people to learn about these current and historic figures.
Participating UScellular stores normally display the local Boys & Girls Club(s) creations in-store but this year the public is encouraged to vote online for their favorite piece of artwork. Our Network of Black Associates (NBA) resource groups are hosting virtual drawing events with select Clubs.

Our Network of Black Associates chapters are hosting book clubs, panel events, various community initiatives and sending communications to their membership in celebration of Black History Month.
Black History Month Social Campaign –

Our Brand Marketing and Employer Brand teams together with Diversity & Inclusion are working on a social campaign highlighting Black innovators in telecommunications and our very own UScellular associates across functions within our organization to discuss the meaning of Black History Month to them, equity and inclusion among other topics.

Verizon

This year, Verizon’s theme for Black History Month is “Beyond the Conversation.” In 2020, we saw a global movement demanding racial and social justice. While many promises were made and conversations started, Verizon’s theme calls for action that truly lives up to the highest ideals of equality and justice.

Verizon’s Employee Resource Group (ERG) BOLD of Verizon – Black Originators Leaders and Doers, will reflect on Black History Month through a series of events hosted all through February exploring leadership, career growth, and allyship.

A few examples of BOLD’s events include:

A series of panel discussions called BOLD Men Speak, where BOLD men discuss topics such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream and experiences in the technology field.
A series of panel discussions called BOLD Sister2Sister, where BOLD women discuss allyship and Black female leadership, impact, and challenges.
A weekly series of Career Lunch and Learns for members to discuss career pathways and opportunities.
Membership discussions tackling genealogy, pedigree, and discovering their own Black history.

Verizon will continue to update our Racial & Social Justice Action Toolkit with new content and progress results. This toolkit was launched last year to provide our customers, employees, and partners a foundation for racial and social justice education.

Additionally, Verizon will add two new episodes to our #Next20 series, a series of conversations about the top racial, social, environmental, technology and business issues that will define the next 20 years.

In early February, “#Next20: Sports and Activism,” will feature Ray Allen, Jrue Holiday, and Renee Montgomery as guest speakers. Later in the month, our next episode will address Black female leadership, impact, and challenges.

Walgreens

Walgreens is celebrating Black History Month with the following events as shown in the photos.

DBP Members Celebrate Black History Month 2021

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