BOLD is for everyone.

We may come from different backgrounds and experiences but ultimately we are one and we've got to come together that way.

Written by Donna Navedo-Sexton, MA

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Marcus J. White , the Chicago area District Manager for Consumer Sales. Marcus shared his journey over nine years with Verizon, discussing not only his career in retail and telesales but his enthusiasm for his role in the BOLD ERG. Marcus’s joy for making a difference is infectious. In the end, I was inspired to be a part of something bigger, and hope you are too.

What brought you to Verizon?

I was attracted to everything about Verizon.? I had wireless experience, working in Louisiana, where I was a Senior Manager for a competitor in a call center that closed down. I had to start over, and when I joined Verizon, I started in a frontline role, so I had to work my way back up. At that time I was about 23 years old. Taking on leadership tasks became very important to me, even in that front-line role, and within a year, I became an assistant manager. Since then I’ve worked in telesales as a supervisor, back to retail as a manager, and now District Manager in the Chicago market.

How did you get involved with BOLD and how has that affected your journey at Verizon?

In 2013 when I joined the company, I really identified with the purpose and being able to amplify other Black and Brown voices in the BOLD (at that time it was called BRAVE) community, so I simply signed up. I was in Alexandria, Louisiana, so there weren’t a lot of events in that area but I watched a lot of replays of events and webcasts, and I thought ‘Oh my gosh I want to be able to do more!’

As I moved through my career I also moved through my membership in BOLD. For example, when I moved into my supervisor position at work, I also found the opportunity to move into a BOLD ambassador position where I raised my hand to take more opportunities.

In 2017, I was promoted to Telesales supervisor and moved to Dallas. At that same time, I became the BOLD West Region Vice President. So it was interesting to see my career and my BOLD experience evolving at the same time.

As of 2020, I became the BOLD West Regional Lead and moved to Chicago as a Consumer District Manager.

Do you think being a part of BOLD has helped you move through your career?

BOLD has allowed me to continue to network. When you join an ERG you are working alongside members of every organization whether it is Finance, Marketing, Advertising, Sales, or Customer Service - you get an opportunity to network with everyone - so for me personally the networking piece was important.?

I have had conversations with others about building my personal brand. Through BOLD we work on so many projects - we are in the process of doing one now, lifting up MLK Day and Black History Month - so there is an opportunity to do project management. As a result, when I walk into interviews throughout my career at Verizon, I’m able to say ‘this is a project I’ve owned from implementation all the way to delivery through my experience with the ERG’.

Is there an experience that stands out for you that you know was a direct result of being a part of an ERG?

In June of last year, I had a chance to participate in a VCG Drive Panel where I had an opportunity to talk about the intersectionality of being Black and LGBTQ+ because both Juneteenth and PRIDE are celebrated in June and I am a member of both BOLD and PRISM. It was a great conversation led by Tanya Johnson (CS VP). That conversation was so special because it showed that no one is just ‘one thing.’

You can be in PRISM and be in BOLD. You can be LGBTQ+ and you can be Black. And, you can be so many other things. That’s what is great about our ERGs. Even though it was a VCG Drive event, it was because of BOLD that I was called to be a part of it.

What does the celebration of Black History Month mean to you? Why is it important?

Black History Month (for me) starts on MLK Day of service and continues through Black History Month. Black History Month is an opportunity for us to really come together and celebrate and recognize the contributions of those in the Black and African American communities. It's also taking a step back and realizing that there's still progress to be made - while we celebrate and we honor all the contributions that are made. We still have a ways to go as we think through things like police brutality and what equal rights look like. Let's take a moment to celebrate, a moment to recognize and have some fun but let’s also take a moment to pause and reflect on how long we still have to go to make sure that we move the world forward.

How do you think we help V Teamers understand the importance of cultural awareness and how do we get people involved?

I think there's a difference between saying ‘I'm not racist’ and saying ‘I'm anti-racist’. We can’t say ‘I'm not racist’ and then listen to hateful or intolerant speech and say nothing. To be anti-racist is to speak out or stand up and say something when you see or hear hatred or injustice. I like to say ‘take off your allyship t-shirt and put on your allyship jumpsuit.’ Make sure that you take action, that you're reading articles from Black authors, you're supporting Black-owned businesses, and that you’re standing up and speaking out to drive conscious inclusion.

Do you have to be Black to be part of BOLD?

BOLD is not just for Black people, it’s for everyone. We need you. We need your background and your experience, and we want to talk about intersectionality. None of us are just one thing. You could be AfroLatina, you could be Black and disabled, you could be Black and a woman, you could be Black and LGBTQ+ - it's an important message to understand that we are one. That is our theme for this year - BOLDer than ever, We Are One. We come from different backgrounds and we come from different experiences but ultimately we are one and we've got to come together that way.

If you were going to encourage someone to be a part of BOLD, PRISM or any ERG, what would you tell them?

Just sign up. There is value in networking and collaborating, both personally and professionally. ERGs provide a safe space to have a conversation with individuals who share your background experiences. We have to have allies, regardless of our affinity, hearing about different experiences is what makes us better. Projects you can be a part of whether you are implementing it or just watching it come to life. Sometimes moments get real but we also have a lot of fun, it’s a balance.?

Final thoughts?

Starting somewhere is important. Standing up and saying something is important. If you haven't had an opportunity before to support a Black-owned business, this could be the year. If you haven't had an opportunity before the reading books or poems by Black authors, this could be the year.

Mental health is real in every community but specifically, when you think about the Black and Brown communities -? we're more alike than we are different so I would say continue to educate yourself and leverage the resources that we have available like EAP. Educate yourself, continue to be an ally and know it's okay not to be okay.

Thank you to Marcus White for his time and thoughtful feedback on the importance of being part of an ERG and cultural awareness during Black History Month. If you want to join Marcus in our volunteer efforts, be sure to join the MLK Day Litter Pick up which will be open throughout the month of February.

Tell us how you will make an impact in the comments below.