Black History Month: Pivoting from Conversations to Action

It is also a call for reflection on the centuries of systemic racism that have brought us to where we are today: a time of reckoning and a pressing need to confront prejudice, and engage in uncomfortable conversations that deal with issues of bias and inequality.

In the wake of last summer’s social unrest and the overdue national confrontation of the deep racial inequities that plague our nation, companies such as Gilbane took steps to demonstrate a meaningful commitment to inclusion and diversity. Black History Month provides the backdrop to reaffirm this commitment through transformative action that positively affects the Black community.

UJIMA: Pivoting from conversation to action 

UJIMA, our internal Employee Resource Group (ERGs)  comprised of Black/African American employees and allies at Gilbane, led difficult conversations that took place in our offices and on job sites throughout the country that were essential to this reckoning; these conversations facilitated an understanding and forged a path forward.  Through this experience, we’ve also transformed as an ERG. This mobilization, combined with a deadly pandemic that disproportionately affects the Black community, demanded attention. We’re indebted to our members for their strength, compassion, and honesty and recognize that last year was about education; this year is about action.

To this end, our UJIMA team has developed month-long, thematic programming for Black History Month honoring Our History, Our Present, Our Investment, and Our Empowerment. While honoring those in the Black community, UJIMA is elevating our company’s commitment to inclusion by providing resources for our Gilbane team to support Black-owned business and give back to the community.

Conscious Customers

In 2020, Gilbane partnered with Conscious Customers. This platform helps our team embrace our purchasing power by aligning spending opportunities with a curated catalog of Black and Latinx-owned businesses. We are challenging employees to become more aware of their personal spending routines, breaking the cycle of unconscious spending and redirecting funds into communities where we live and build. To learn more about Conscious Customers and take charge of your spending, click here.

MyBlackReceipt

In conjunction with Conscious Customers, we have encouraged our team internally to utilize MyBlackReceipt as an accountability measure. Launched June 19, 2020 as the first “Buy Black” movement that quantifies collective purchases from Black-owned businesses, this platform holds consumers accountable while publicly demonstrating support for Black-owned businesses.  When you support a Black business owner, you support Black jobs, Black causes, and build Black wealth.

As we continue to involve the enterprise, this will ignite a path forward. We’re inspired by our Gilbane family and look forward to engaging in future conversations and actions that yield better outcomes for all.