Black History Month pays tribute to the achievements and invaluable contributions made by the Black community while celebrating the global impact of Black identities. Throughout February, our BIPOC & Allies Associate Resource Group (ARG), in partnership with the Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) Team, curated intentional and impactful experiences that amplified the influences that associates have made across the organization.
The BIPOC ARG called on its members to nominate associates who have influenced others for our month-long Black History Month associate spotlight series (which can be found on Instagram). Following this, a celebratory dinner was held to further recognize all of the nominees.
“Everyone who attended the dinner has been influential, and that is something that needs to be celebrated,” said Alexis Keen, a member of the I&D Team and event host. “We know that when associates come together as a community, we see a deepened sense of connection and an enhanced sense of belonging.”
Throughout the night, associates engaged in authentic conversations with one another while making connections through stories about their personal and professional journeys.
Dinner was catered by Black-owned restaurant, Flavor 91 Bistro, and featured menu items such as chicken avocado wraps and vegan sambusas. The evening was an opportunity to engage with friends—both old and new—through heartfelt discussions and lots of laughter. “It created a space for us to interact and meet with people in parts of the business we normally would not interact with,” said associate Athina West (Human Resources).
Jordan Maxwell (Wholesale) agreed with the sentiment. “It was cool getting people from different areas of the company in the same space and celebrating ourselves. Hoping this is the start of a great new tradition!”
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The dinner came on the heels of our Black History Month associate spotlights, where associates expressed what this year’s U.S. national theme—African Africans and the Arts—meant to them.
“A few words that come to mind are bold, unique, trendsetting and influential,” said associate Arrianne Washington (Procurement). “I feel art is one of our greatest forms of expression, providing a peek into our history, culture and heritage.”
This past month, the BIPOC ARG created an experience where associates at GHO were also treated to an essential piece of history with every cup of morning coffee ordered from the campus café. The coffee sleeves featured various African Americans and facts about how the individual impacted the art community—the sleeves featured artwork created by Dara Broadous (Fashion Designer).
In a LinkedIn post, Broadus explained her inspiration.
“This design became my love letter to the culture, to the vibrancy of Black life and a nod to those incredible people within the Black community who have shown us how to see beyond perceived limits and carve out our own spaces to shine.”
Head over to @LifeatANF on Instagram to watch a video of our first ever Black History Month Celebration Dinner.
