Each February, people across North America participate in Black History Month events and festivities that honour the legacy of African American communities in the United States and Canada.
This year, the theme for Black History Month was ‘Ours to Tell,’ which represents both an opportunity to engage in open dialogue and a commitment to learning more about the stories African American people and communities have to share about their histories, successes, sacrifices and triumphs.
To celebrate Black History Month at Kinross, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) team hosted a webinar for our North American employees that focused on ‘The Power of Diversity and Inclusion at Work’ with Nicky Pitt, Director, Talent & Engagement, Olumide Ogundeji, Senior Director, Enterprise Applications, PMO, and guest speaker Dean Delpeache from Strasity.
The webinar was an opportunity for employees to gain an understanding of equity, inclusion and bias in the workplace, to consider opportunities and challenges that a diverse workplace presents, to reflect on respecting differences and supporting collaboration and cohesiveness within a team, and to gain tips on ways to improve inclusion within the organization.
’The Power of Diversity and Inclusion at Work’ webinar was an opportunity for our employees to come together and have an open conversation about DEI, and to share their stories to help others understand ways they can support their African American coworkers,” Nicky Pitt, Director of Talent and Engagement, Toronto. “The takeaways showed us that while Black History Month raises awareness in February, it should not be just last one month, but be a year-round commitment to continue educating ourselves, and driving change in the workplace and our communities.”
Kinross leaders also participated in an inclusive hiring session in partnership with ‘Skills for Change’ to discuss the bias and unconscious biases that exist in the workplace and how to identify and manage those during the hiring process.
Employees can continue learning about Black History Month by visiting Kinross University’s Learning Series to access videos, articles and resources to learn how to stand up against racism and about extraordinary figures from the African American community.
