Black History Month is once more upon us and as we join the annual celebration of the history, achievements, and contributions of the Black British community in the UK, we turn to each other to remember such significant events and courageous trailblazers throughout our time. We have reached out to some of our employees to share what this celebration means to them.
Aden Habte
For me, this is a time of celebration for Black excellence – that exists all year round. But also a time for reflection.
I think of my mother, my grandmother and the Windrush generation. Our achievements as a community but also the injustices and atrocities they encountered when they entered this country.
Black History Month to me means… hope, pride, recognition and loss.
Soyini Taylor
Usually, when I introduce myself I say I’m a New Yorker who’s yet to find the perfect pizza slice in the UK, but this is just surface information about what makes me who I am. Digging deeper, you will learn that I am a person of Jamaican heritage, born in NYC and am now living in England, and that’s not even the full story, so it’s a complicated sentiment to ‘bring my whole self to work each day’.
Mainly because what makes me and my kinfolk who we are isn’t just surface knowledge. A lot of my heritage has been affected, influenced and even thwarted by events that aren’t readily a part of commonly taught history in the US and the UK. This is why Black history month is important to me.
This month highlighting the successes, joys and real truths of what it means to be black, African American, Jamaican, Jamerican, etc. reminds me of how proud I am of my heritage and that each part of my heritage is just as important as the next. It’s more than just my hair, the food I eat, the clothes I wear, and the music I listen to, amongst other things. This month highlights that being black doesn’t mean just one thing, and the variety and expanse that it covers are beautiful.
My hope is that this month inspires this type of learning and hunger for all hidden history all year round and not just one month out of the year.
Clive Nyawo
Black History Month allows me to reflect on my ancestors’ origins, the power they bring, and the beauty they exude. It reminds me that I come from a family that is rich in determination, perseverance, and love. This month, I will pay tribute through volunteerism and education, because I want to help others understand the significance of this special month and the culture it represents. BOLDforce has provided me with a sounding board and support structure by allowing me to connect with dynamic individuals who have served as friends and mentors in my professional and personal life.
As a result, I’d like to participate in additional initiatives and become a stronger activist for myself and others within the company, allowing us to effect more change for other Black professionals.
Julien Constantine
What I love about Black History Month, in some ways it’s like a birthday… OK, we might not exchange gifts but it’s a time to be excited and recognise important people!
I feel our Black community comes together and WE CELEBRATE the Black British icons and their contributions to society.
I find it uplifting and educational… Why? Because even though I was born here, there are people I may not have heard of and I find out about the importance they’ve had.
My social feeds are filled with opportunities to discover new music, movies, actors/actresses, poets, scientists and other professionals.
I’d encourage you, to just take a moment to wonder through your social feeds/news sites and just go on a journey to learn about a Black Briton new to you and their story today.
Jude Umeh
A month of reflection, celebration and hope, and/or a reminder of equality, diversity, inclusion etc., (or just simply all of the above)?
Salesforce brings a certain leadership to the world of business by espousing, as it does, the notion that business is the greatest platform for change, and I love how our core values of Trust, Customer Success, Innovation, Equality and Sustainability, clearly align with making the world a better place by both doing well AND doing good.
For me, such an audacious north star is a key reason why I cherish and enjoy the culture and ecosystem of this organisation as an employee.
Resource Groups (ERGs), such as BOLDforce and a few others, provide one of the ways in which we’re able to contribute to this impact, alongside our 1-1-1 model of giving back a percentage of time, money and licences to education and non-profits. It is a small but increasingly significant drop in the ocean of change needed to shift the world on its axis, because increased awareness, education, and mindset shifts towards tolerance, equality and inclusion are really hard, but that is exactly why they’re worth doing.
So what does Black History Month mean to me? It is mostly a reminder of the work still to be done until there is no need for such a thing as Black History Month.
Salesforce is committed to diversity, inclusion and belonging, so each year we will continue to look for meaningful ways to honour the moment and find actionable ways to elevate Black voices, contributions, and opportunities.
Spaces and platforms such as BOLDforce UK, the Equality and Justice Taskforce and resource groups that the company has integrated ultimately lay a solid foundation for a great workplace.
