How NAF is Celebrating Black History Month
February is Black History Month, a time to reflect and celebrate the incredible contributions of Black Americans to U.S. society, history, and culture. At NAF, we have experienced the impact of Black innovators, such as Robert Morgan Educational Center, Academy of Hospitality & Tourism Lead Teacher and Miami-Dade County Teacher of The Year Finalist, Alina Hughes; Alumni Leadership Council Member and NAF Next 2023 Alumni Award Winner, Jennifer Montgomery; NAF Board Co-Vice Chairman and Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, Robert F. Smith; and many others. As NAF continues to honor Black History year-round; we are excited to share how our NAF team is celebrating, as well as provide impactful resources. We also want to let our network know about an upcoming event with RTX and Verizon this week to help ensure that the next generation of leaders can see themselves reflected in American History, as they pursue their college and career aspirations.
Women of Color ERG (Employee Resource Group):
Working strategically with NAF to promote a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion through continual learning is the mission of NAF’s Women of Color ERG. Since joining the Women of Color ERG, I have seen and experienced the impact of their work to provide NAF employees a brave space to be seen and freely express themselves, engage in leadership opportunities, establish programs and activities that align with NAF’s mission, and develop and grow in our personal and professional lives.
For Black History Month, the ERG has engaged NAF team members in celebrating with a special series of conversations that explore four subject matters: Arts & Creativity, Innovation, The Culture – The Diaspora, and Revolutionary/Advocacy – Social Action. During a recent staff meeting, we broke out into small groups to discuss these subjects and shared our perspectives, gaining insight into how these areas resonate with each of us.
“Black History is our history. We are resilient, forgiving, principled, and hold true to honoring our heritage and celebrating our culture.”- Colleen Smith, NAF’s Assistant Director, Academy Development, and Women of Color ERG Vice-Chair.
Resources:
Black History Month – NAF Expedition
NAF’s Black History Month expedition highlights past and present Black History change makers, like Engineer Jerry Lawson, and enables students to reflect, innovate, and showcase their learnings.
Becoming Ursula Burns
“You don’t have to hit it perfectly the first time. You just have to kind of understand that it’s possible to be done and then work hard on getting it better. And that’s one of the most amazing things about engineering.” – Ursula Burns
In this inspiring video, produced by Becoming X, The Royal Academy of Engineering, and Amazon UK, as a part of their “Engineering Heroes” series, NAF Board Member, Ursula Burns, shares her story growing up on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and her journey to becoming the first African American female CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
Importance of Diversity in STEM
NAF’s collaboration with companies, like RTX, supports our goal of building diverse and inclusive talent pipelines. Together, we unveiled new state-of-the-art tech labs at NAF engineering academies in Palm Beach, FL, Hartford, CT, and four high schools in D.C. at the end of 2023 — preparing hundreds of students for future careers in STEM. Hear from Kellye Randle, Senior Manager at RTX, as she shares the importance of diversity and representation in STEM fields, and how her role elevates bringing more people of color and women into the workforce at RTX:
Celebrating Black Engineers Webinar
February 29, 2024 | 1 PM ET
Each year, the U.S. workforce needs about 400,000 new engineers. While Black or African Americans represent 14% of the U.S. population, they represent only 9% of new engineering degrees every year. Join NAF, RTX, and Verizon, for the Celebrating Black Engineers panel discussion on February 29th at 1 PM EST to learn about their stories, hear their tips, and celebrate their successes.
