Credera Celebrates Black History Month 2021

Nickoria Johnson

Credera Celebrates Black History Month 2021

We just wrapped up Black History Month (BHM) in February—a month dedicated to remembering the past and celebrating Black achievement in America.

In recognition of the month, Credera felt it was important to celebrate through many fun, unique, and reflective initiatives. Our CredColor and Credera Celebrates teams hosted eight different educational programs for Credera team members to get involved in. Together we learned, created energy, and reflected on how important Black history and the Black culture is to all of us.

As a recap, here are a few of the ways we celebrated Black History Month 2021.

How Credera Celebrated Black History Month

The Barrier Breakers Series

During these short, snackable presentations, our Credera Women’s Network and our Open Pride Credera employee resource groups (ERGs) highlighted the intersectionality of being Black and identifying as a woman or as LBGTQ+. We showcased Black trailblazers who have had significant impacts among women and the LBGTQ+ community.

Jambalaya Cooking Class

Chef Marlene of Knife and Faulk, LLC taught us how to cook her take on jambalaya and jalapeno hoecakes, as we explored the history behind these two southern foodie staples. She took the time to help all of us improve our knife skills and provided tips and tricks along the way to make each of us better home chefs!

Movie Watch Parties

Throughout the month we hosted virtual movie nights where we connected and watched 42, Selma, and Hidden Figures, three movies that celebrate Black achievement. Our movie night moderators provided fun facts, historical nuggets, and thought-provoking questions throughout. At the conclusion of each movie, we shared thoughts about what we learned and explored parallels to our current situations. Each person who attended shared openly and were vulnerable enough to address some of the more challenging undertones openly.

Credera Listens: When You Rise, I Rise Panel event

On Friday, February 19, we hosted the fifth installment of our Credera Listens panel event. Through a panel and open forum discussion, we explored the topics of race, allyship, intersectionality, microaggressions, and authenticity, among others, through the experiences and perspectives of the panelists. The theme of this panel was “When You Rise, I Rise,” and the conversation focused on personal stories highlighting the impact of allyship and sponsorship in each panelist’s life and career journey.

African Dance Class

Led by our esteemed instructor, Erika Bethea, and with our duo of African drummers from Bandan Koro Dance and Drum Ensemble of Dallas, Credera team members learned choreography associated with a traditional West African dance called KuKu through a virtual African dance class! Erika danced us step by step through six different movements and also taught about the drum rhythms and beats that drive the energy and the grounding of the dance.

Tuesday Teams Challenges

On Tuesdays, Credera team members were invited to participate in teams challenges, winning prizes and sharing in the fun. We hosted a challenge to support local Black businesses and equipped each of our six U.S. offices with lists and recommendations of where to go and what to buy. We also had a BHM trivia challenge and crossword extravaganza! It’s not too late to play (but the prizes have already been won)!

Why Black History Month Reflections

We used Wednesdays to share unique and impactful perspectives on why Black History Month is important and what it means to people. The posts on the Credera’s communication platform, Microsoft Teams, provided insights from a mother, a young woman in high school, and a child’s point of view.

BHM Book Club

At the beginning of the month, we rallied our Credera Family to read His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope by Jon Meacham together and hosted a book club discussion on February 24 to share thoughts, reflect on key themes, and dive deep into some of the history presented in the book. The book and the life journey of John Lewis resonated with the book club participants and had a big impact on our thinking and perspectives.

Social Media BHM Takeover

Employee Spotlights, The Roster BHM Takeover, and My Credera Story Blog Posts

To create visibility and awareness of the experiences of some of our own Black team members, we shared several employee’s stories through the month through three content initiatives. The Employee Spotlights highlighted Kelsey Dirks, David Johnson, and Peter Yobo, who shared a little bit about what Black History Month means to them. The Roster blog series made a comeback this month where Bria Ford, Shun Borders, and Simi Adewunmi shared a little bit about themselves, what their experiences at Credera have been like, and what Black History Month means to them. Kyler Starks and Nickoria Johnson shared their My Credera Stories, providing insights about them personally and their unique Credera journeys.

Working at Credera

At Credera, we have a culture that values the many unique perspectives, backgrounds, and histories that our employees represent. If you’re interested in a career at Credera and beginning your journey, please visit our careers page.