Skip to main content

Celebrating Black History Month


Every February, we take time at Republic to join Americans across the United States in honoring the achievements and legacy of African Americans in our country’s history and society as we celebrate Black History Month.

“At Republic, we value the diverse backgrounds, experiences and cultures of all our employees and work to create job opportunities for people from all backgrounds,” said Sumona De Graaf, EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer. “Celebrating Black History Month gives us an opportunity to recognize the contributions of our Black employees and customers and continue to broaden our understanding of topics like race, equity and justice to help make our workplace even more inclusive.”

Throughout the month of February, we encourage you to visit the Day of Reflection and Connection SharePoint site. We also invite you to take a few moments each day to participate in our 21 Day Reflection and Connection Challenge  and check out the videos from this year’s MLK Reflection and Connection virtual event. Coming up, we will be highlighting a few of our employees, as well as some black-owned business customers right here on Blue Nation Online. Be sure to check back for those stories later this month!

If you want to get more involved, you are invited to join our Black Employee Network business resource group. The Black Employee Network offers you the chance to develop skills and knowledge for professional growth, increase your cultural awareness, participate in mentorship and leadership opportunities, and help advance the recruitment and retention of talented black employees. All employees are welcome to join. To get started, click here.

HISTORY LESSON

Initially started as Black History Week in 1926, the celebration was expanded to a month in 1976 by President Gerald R. Ford, who wanted to bring to light the accomplishments of black Americans throughout U.S. history. Black History Month is a time to honor the contributions and legacy of African Americans – from activists and civil rights pioneers such as Frederick DouglassSojourner Truth, Martin Luther King Jr.Malcolm X and Rosa Parks to leaders in science, culture and more. Since then, each American president has issued Black History Month proclamations.