Our Plan to Advance Black Pathways

In January, our A.L.I.G.N. (African Americans Leading Inclusion and Growth Network) Team Member Network organized Advance’s second annual MLK Day Celebration. Team Members across the country took part and watched the Durham African Dance group perform, celebrated the winners of our MLK Pay It Forward Campaign and saw unbelievable art from young people in our community who creatively brought to life one of Dr. King’s most memorable quotes, “Unity is the great need of the hour.” Our keynote speaker, Reverend James White of the Triangle YMCA, did an incredible job with our event theme, “Advance the Dream, Accelerate Change” and empowered all of us to champion inclusion and create a better and stronger work culture.

I left the event energized and ready to build on our Inclusion & Diversity agenda. And I heard from so many Team Members who felt the same way.

Fast forward a few months and things took a very different turn. George Floyd was murdered by a white law enforcement officer on the streets of Minneapolis. Breonna Taylor was shot and killed after police officers broke into her apartment. And Ahmaud Arbery was gunned down by two white assailants in the middle of a street in Georgia. These senseless tragedies were not isolated incidents. They were, however, another gruesome reminder that hate, discrimination and injustice still exist in our communities today.

Calls for equality rang out across the country and Americans demanded change. In response, our Advance leadership team wrote a letter to our Team Members to reaffirm our commitment to inclusion and diversity and our belief that Black lives matter. It was important to us to send a message of solidarity, but we knew a letter alone wasn’t enough. The question then became – what next? I’ll admit, we didn’t have all the answers, and we once again turned to Reverend James White for guidance.

James spoke candidly to our team about the roots of racism and oppression, his experiences as a Black man in this country and his assessment of where things stand when it comes to racial equality. We asked questions, many very personal. We talked openly, and no comment was off-limits. And with input from James, we plotted a course forward, one that includes three important steps.

1. Listen and seek to understand. We recently began a series of round table discussions where Team Members at all levels and job functions can Speak Up about their experiences, concerns and ideas for how we can Move Forward as one community at Advance. I was moved by how vulnerable, open and candid our Team Members were in sharing their personal journeys. Our plan is to continue these conversations on an ongoing basis and incorporate the feedback as part of the action plans in our future programs.

 2. Educate. Bringing our Team Members along on this journey is critical and it starts with ensuring our leaders have the knowledge and tools to have uncomfortable conversations with their team and with our customers. We currently have training for managing unconscious bias and cultural fluency but are building out a more holistic training program, which includes how we can proactively serve as an ally for others that are different from us and how to navigate uncomfortable discussions. We will also include guest speakers and outside experts who can bring fresh perspectives on a variety of important topics.

3. Activate. This final phase is one we are still building. We’re calling it “Advance Black Pathways” and it has three important parts. The first is a focus on building Black career opportunities, whether it’s recruiting Black Team Members to join Advance or providing mentorship and coaching to help Black Team Members progress within the company. The second part involves building on our culture by finding ways to share Black history and experiences through special events and increased visibility for our A.L.I.G.N. Team Member Network. The third and final part is about enriching the lives of Black people through philanthropic giving and nonprofit partnerships in the communities where we live and serve.

Creating long-lasting change is not easy, but it’s critical and I’m proud of the direction in which we are headed. I know many others are having similar discussions and coming up with their own unique programs, and I’d love to learn more about those efforts. I’m optimistic that out of so much pain, a better, more equal world will emerge. It will take all of us to make that happen, and I am committed to helping Advance Move Forward.