{"id":13057,"date":"2023-02-20T11:50:23","date_gmt":"2023-02-20T16:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/?p=13057"},"modified":"2023-02-20T11:50:26","modified_gmt":"2023-02-20T16:50:26","slug":"black-history-month-reflecting-on-a-year-of-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/black-history-month-reflecting-on-a-year-of-progress\/","title":{"rendered":"Black History Month: Reflecting on a year of progress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In honor of Black History Month, Donald Seward Jr., vice president, remediation practice leader, and president of our BeBold Employee Resource Group shares what this month means to him and reflects on BeBold\u2019s many accomplishments in the past year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read his thoughts to learn more about how BeBold is celebrating Black history\u2014this month and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An opportunity for reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Black History Month presents an opportunity for America to reflect on the contributions, accomplishments, and triumphs of Black people in our society. Black history is inseparable from American history, and I am so proud to reflect on how far we have come as a nation and as a people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This month, AECOM\u2019s BeBOLD Employee Resource Group is celebrating how Black culture is interwoven into this great country. We seek to empower Black employees to shape the future of the company and the communities we serve. Black History Month shines a light on that mission. We\u2019re engaging exciting speakers who will share their unique multicultural backgrounds as we partner with our family of Employee Resource Groups<\/a>\u2014teams dedicated to amplifying and uplifting diverse voices\u2014to advance a vision of equity both within and outside of AECOM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black History Month is special to me because I always discover more about the depth and breadth of the Black experience and how strong our ancestors were, both in the distant and recent past. As we reflect on our unique, yet shared histories, I\u2019m excited once again to learn more about those experiences and the strength that lies behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though Black History Month presents a special time for reflection, we share a year-round commitment to uplifting Black employees and building lasting community partnerships that help shape the future of our company. And 2022 was no exception. We\u2019re proud to have become more active than ever in the past year, hosting more than a dozen major events. Here are some of our highlights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Joy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BeBold is about unity. In that sense, it\u2019s also about joy. By acting in concert, we create opportunities to connect,  learn and  succeed. Convening BeBold members and our ERG allies, our 2022 Black Joy series celebrated the Black experience at AECOM and beyond, honoring the contributions of Black people in arts and culture, interrogating inequity and adversity, and discussing political, professional, and personal advancement.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our series covered an array of topics, but one event in particular stood out: our Black Joy in Leadership discussion that featured AECOM Board Director Lydia Kennard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given Ms. Kennard\u2019s legacy, experience and status as a highly influential executive, she demonstrates Black Joy at the highest levels of business. Ms. Kennard shared her experiences with us in a 45-minute one on one interview and opened a window into her personal and professional life and how her family background, access to education and experience led her to where she is today: a successful black entrepreneur, President and CEO of her own company and AECOM Board Director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BeBold. BeTold.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At BeBold, we are all storytellers. Whether that\u2019s sharing our experience at AECOM, our career progressions, or identifying and addressing injustice. Last year, we launched BeTold, our interactive newsletter, to tell these stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In BeTold, you\u2019ll read about BeBold\u2019s latest initiatives, profiles of our wonderful members, discussions around work and success, opportunities to make a difference, and even thoughts on culture and history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlights from BeTold include an in-depth outline of AECOM\u2019s wellness benefits for Black employees, a discussion between our Design Principal Pierre Roberson and Urban Planner Mo Bradford on strengthening the pipeline of Black talent, reflections on Juneteenth, and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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