ERG Spotlight: Black at CA

Curriculum Associates (CA) currently has six employee resource groups (ERGs). Each group is an employee-led space to foster inclusion and support of employees with shared identities. The Black ERG at CA launched in 2020 and currently supports more than 150 team members who identify as Black or African American.

The group held its first retreat in 2023, with 80 people attending in person at CA's Greensboro, North Carolina office. The group that assembled in Greensboro was a mix of ERG members, executive sponsors, and company leaders.

RaKeema Toussaint, Ph.D., CDP? and Chantel V. share some insights about this inaugural event:

How did the ERG decide on the retreat programming, and what elements do you feel had the most impact on the attendees?

The theme of the 2023 retreat was "Rooted in Excellence: Cultivating Abundance through Black Empowerment." We knew our members wanted to feel more connected with colleagues, wanted opportunities to network and share experiences, and wanted to hear directly from our company leaders.

We used feedback from our members and data from our executive leaders to develop our retreat programming so we could ensure the time we had together was the most impactful. We focused on ERG priorities, community engagement, and integrated companywide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives and goals. We prepared opportunities for small group interactions, individual reflections, panel discussions, and an interview with the company CEO that was moderated by Tyrone Holmes , CA’s chief inclusion officer and executive sponsor to the Black ERG. We truly appreciate the time Rob Waldron , CA’s CEO, shared with us in such an open forum.

How do you feel the in-person retreat enriched the experience of the virtual community the ERG has supported since 2020?

Since its start, the Black ERG has produced several creative ways to gather and cultivate connections virtually and, when able, in person at larger company event gatherings. Our community spans multiple departments, regions, and time zones. This inaugural retreat provided the first-ever opportunity for Black employees throughout the company to gather in one location. Virtually, we have hosted educational forums, intimate discussions, and social gatherings to ensure we build a thriving online community. Having a space where we could connect beyond virtual parameters allowed us all to experience one another in real-time and in real life. We were able to hug, hold hands, laugh, break bread, and even shed tears. While we’ve worked hard to facilitate meaningful connections via video calls and instant messages, when people gather in real life, things get real—and that connection cannot be denied.

What would you like candidates considering joining CA to know about the Black ERG?

We regularly hear from our members that our events, programming, and safe spaces leave them feeling empowered, seen, and heard. When our members encounter hardships, personal or professional, they feel comfortable leaning on their ERG leadership and fellow members for guidance and encouragement. We have cultivated a family-like community where we welcome, listen to, mentor, and support one another. This is a prized space that we are fortunate to experience and participate in unapologetically.

Want to learn more about the Black ERG at CA? Check out the Black ERG’s introductory video in this post. You can also reach out to Toussaint or Vaultz on LinkedIn.

Learn more about all of CA’s employee resource groups here.

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