Black History Month Matters Because Representation Matters

“Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”

?― Carter G. Woodson

At Dompé, our philosophy and actions are centered on fostering a culture that celebrates diverse experiences styles and developing innovations in the interest of patients. We are serious about introducing careers in life sciences to people of color and take pride in our success in recruiting and retaining diverse candidates and continue to make this a priority for all our open positions.?So, if we believe and act in a manner that promotes inclusiveness, why does one month – Black History Month – matter?

Black History Month was created almost 100 years ago in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASAALH) to “encourage people of all ethnic and social backgrounds to discuss the Black experience.”?The significance of this month is to focus attention and awareness on the powerful contributions of the Black community to everyone’s lives.

“It wasn’t so long ago that Black people were not allowed to be educated and that being caught reading a book could lead to one’s death,” said Allison Swanson, Dompé Brand Trainer, North America.

This stark reality and the resilience and persistence to thrive and create impact, despite profound inequities, is central to the meaning of Black History Month.?

A passionately committed group of colleagues have accelerated Dompé’s efforts to create understanding of the impact of Black people on our society while doing more to increase representation of people of color in healthcare.

“Dompé is an inclusive environment but after George Floyd’s death, a group of us were driven to consider how we could do more to increase the conversation around representation and create opportunities for our community,” said Bianca Baker, PhD, Director of Medical and Clinical Affairs and a member of the Dompé cross-functional Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team .?

Our DE&I team introduced a “Forever Diversity” proposal to activate initiatives to not only increase the numbers of people who identify as BIPOC within Dompé but to foster a more inclusive culture to ensure that no one is ever the “only lonely” person of color in their work circles.

“Many colleagues have shared the experience of being “the only” in their prior workplaces,” said Mariana Farias, HR Business partner Dompé. “Our goal is for Dompé to look and act representative of the population of North America across all sectors and departments.?Every colleague should have someone who understands or can appreciate both the work you do and your cultural experience.”

The group, working on their own discretionary time, seeks to increase diversity within healthcare, enhance education about clinical trials and use social moments to share experiences with colleagues that enable greater understanding and appreciation of the Black experience.?For example, for Black History Month, the group identified a list of Black unsung heroes from history and shared the impact these individuals have made on the world.?Dompé also shared lists of Black-owned restaurants in the communities in which they operate and encouraged people to have dinner on Dompé from these enterprises.

“It’s been great to be a part of a company that not only recognizes the importance of diversity in helping the company achieve its vision but that also is willing to give time and resources to help make a change,” Katrina Journey, Dompé Canada General Manager and a member of Dompé’s cross-functional DE&I team.

Because, Allison Swanson reinforced, “Representation Matters.”

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