Highlights:
- Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history.
- The theme of Black History Month 2022 is “Black Health & Wellness”- examining fairness in healthcare and celebrating the legacy of Black contributors, scholars, and practitioners in Western medicine.
Begin with a single step
The story of Black History is the story of everyone’s history. This month, we’ll honor Black History Month by walking side by side with leaders of our Black Employees @ RingCentral Employee Resource Group (BE@R) as they help us understand and internalize the journey of the Black community in America. From weekly discussions of The 1619 Project to talks on genealogy, history and music, we’ll face down some of the most shameful periods in human history, as well as the shining moments that connect and lift us up – together.
The hard path
You may have heard about The 1619 Project. This Black History Month, you’ll have the chance to examine it for yourself, and discuss its significance with BE@R members, and one another. 1619 goes beyond slavery and its legacy. It was also the year that a heroic and generative process commenced, one by which enslaved Africans and their free descendants would begin to profoundly alter the direction and character of the country, making an impact on everything from politics to popular culture. Join us on the Black Lives Matter RCV Group. The journey will be hard, but transformative— and we’ll take it together.
Discussions:
The 1619 Project – An examination of the New York Times project by Nicole Hannah-Jones which places the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of the United States‘ national narrative
The 1619 Project, Part 1 – Fight for A True Democracy
The 1619 Project, Part 2 – The Economy That Slavery Built
The 1619 Project, Part 3 – The Birth of American Music
The 1619 Project, Part 4 – How the Bad Blood Started
The 1619 Project, Part 5 – The Land of Our Fathers
A Journey Through The Black Experience – A conversation series with a variety of Black employees to showcase some of the range of diversity in being Black In America
Black And….. Intergenerational
Black And….. Multiracial/ Mixed Raced Family
Black And….. Mental/ Physical Health
Black And….. Intersectional
A Black Journey Through Politics Part 1 & 2 – African Americans role in the political fabric of America
A Black Journey Through Lineage – A look at one African Americans Journey in building his family tree
A Black Journey Through Time – The African American History Timeline and how it is a part of the American timeline.
Road mix
Music is inextricably tied to the Black experience in America. DJ E-TRANE will continue the journey by spinning weekly sets curated to educate your mind, feed your soul, (and, yes, move your butt.)
Sessions:
A Black Journey Through music with DJ E-Trane
Feb 4 – ICONS – Highlighting the work of Black musical icons
Feb 11 – EVOLUTION – The journey of Black music from slavery to the present day
Feb 18 – MAGIC TOUCH – The influence & impact of Black music across genres and artists
Feb 25 – ALL TOGETHER NOW – A celebration of Black music
Looking back
Everyone wants—and deserves—to know where they come from. Black genealogy records are incredibly difficult to find due to the scant nature of record keeping for African Americans prior to the Civil War. To learn more about your own, or simply educate yourself on the challenges Black colleagues face, be sure to check out Ed Odom’s discussion, A Black Journey Through Lineage – Documenting My Family Tree on Feb. 9 (TIME/PLACE)
Moving forward
Slavery. Freedom. Tragedy. Triumph. It’s all tied together, in a time of contradiction and a land of incredible promise. As a company, we have a responsibility to examine both our failures and our successes. The same goes for us as humans. RingCentral exists to connect the world more closely. Over the course of this month, we’ll examine our imperfections, adjust our perspective, and hopefully, come out on the other side better prepared to move forward, together.
#BlackHistoryMonth
Originally published Feb 01, 2022, updated Dec 30, 2022
