Weeks later, we’re still talking about the many ways Sankofa (one of our open employee resource groups that supports the Black experience in the workplace) led Shipt through Black History Month celebrations this year. And the best part? It’s just the beginning of a year that will feature many more events, celebrations, volunteer opportunities and educational learning moments to come.
Sankofa’s chosen theme for 2024 – “Black 365—Celebrating Culture and Community” – honored Black people and the influence and impact of Black culture throughout the entire year.
Throughout February, Sankofa held events aimed at connecting, informing and honoring our Black community. And, in the year ahead, Sankofa will build on the past two years of engagement to continue highlighting the beauty of Black culture among all of Shipt team and our communities.
Here’s a list of special highlights from February and some nods about what’s to come!
A New Community Partner
Sankofa announced their new community partner, 30,000 Feet (30K), an after-school organization based in Minneapolis that’s committed to empowering Black students through culture, art, technology and social justice.
“Minnesota has some of the largest racial gaps in the United States and 30K’s goal is to disrupt the cycle of poverty and bring about change with the power of high expectations,” said 30K co-founder Vanessa Young. “We want to lift up as many young people as possible.”
In partnership with the organization, Sankofa led a volunteer week that involved team members engaging in two mentoring sessions with students, sharing both their experiences and how they began working in the tech field. This exposed students to fields outside of engineering, illustrating the opportunities in tech that don’t require coding knowledge. Beyond Black History Month, the partnership between Sankofa and 30K will continue year-round, with more opportunities to support their mission and their youth.
Supporting Black Founders
To honor the heritage month, Sankofa partnered with POCBOX to offer curated lifestyle boxes to team members engaged in the employee resource group. POCBOX launched with the mission to stimulate an appreciation for, advance knowledge of and connect BIPOC-owned businesses and independent makers with households in every community.
While this is the first time Sankofa has partnered with POCBOX, this is not the first time the employee resource group has highlighted Black-owned businesses. Throughout the year, and especially during key moments such as Juneteenth, Martin Luther King Day or Black History Month, Sankofa leaders create guides for team members to help bring awareness to local Black businesses.
Financial Wellness & Preparedness
Timed with Valentine’s Day, Shipt hosted a financial wellness session titled “For the Love of Money,” led by an esteemed Black Wealth Management Advisor, James Banks Brown III.
Sankofa invited Brown to address wealth disparities that exist among Black and non-Black communities after years of historical prejudice through education, awareness and preparedness in financial wellness.
“For those of us who don’t have generational wealth who are trying to build it, these strategies become so important for us to set up the next generation and pass off the baton,” said Nate Rooney, moderator of the discussion and a director of finance at Shipt.
Sankofa regularly hosts thought leaders to help empower and engage all team members and looks forward to continuing guest speaker programming throughout the year.
Coming Together with a Purpose
To encourage community and connection outside of the office, Sankofa sponsored two basketball socials, offering team members a chance to catch up with other employee resource group members. They cheered on the local basketball teams in Birmingham, Ala, and Atlanta on the Historically Black College/University (HBCU) Nights, making it even more significant to the community. Sankofa members enjoyed HBCU hats, t-shirts, and vouchers for pre-game festivities. Throughout the year, Sankofa plans to find other occasions to bring the community together for moments of connection.
“Since we have a mainly virtual workforce, it’s really important to create opportunities like these for people to come together, connect and meet each other in real life,” said Robert Wade, Jr., co-leader of Sankofa and a manager of finance at Shipt.
Sankofa Sounds
Sankofa invited local Birmingham DJ, CJ tha Sticman, for their second iteration of Sankofa Sounds. Team members had a blast spending this hour together, listening to some of their favorite classics mixed LIVE, alongside coworkers who were all feeling the groove. There was dancing, laughs and many requests for the fun to continue. Sankofa Sounds has already become a regular series for Sankofa. In fact, Sankofa leaders are considering adding a line dancing class to future Sankofa Sounds events so everyone can get in on the fun!
At Shipt, we’re proud to cultivate an inclusive workplace that empowers team members to bring their authentic selves and foster authenticity into their communities. We thank our Sankofa leaders for creating these special moments for all team members to celebrate Black Culture 365 days a year and look forward to the events to come.