The Ritchie Bros. Black Lives Matter (BLM) Committee Employee Resource Group (ERG) works to eliminate barriers and stereotypes that the Black community continues to experience and to create a culture where everyone feels like they belong. With Black History Month just concluding, we wanted to share a couple recent events.
Celebrating music through the decades
Our BLM Committee sponsored The City of Morrow, GA’s Black History Month event, Music Through the Decades, which occurred on Saturday, February 25. Andrew Copeland, Shelton Nelson, and Ryan Szkrybalo (in picture from left to right) represented Ritchie Bros. at the event and we are grateful for them spreading the word about Ritchie Bros. being an inclusive company that helps our people and the communities where we operate thrive.
“The City of Morrow really laid out the red carpet for us as one of their sponsors, from driving into the city with our logo flashing on their billboards, to displaying our logo on multiple banners, to our reserved booth next to one of the top vendors. We also had backstage passes, a reserved table, and were served delicious food, which made it a tremendous experience. I had a great time introducing others to our company and letting them know what Ritchie Bros. has to offer as a company.”
Shelton Nelson, Equipment Specialist and Black Lives Matter Committee Member
Black History Month panel discussion
This past Friday, the BLM Committee hosted a live, virtual panel in which members of the ERG shared their own experiences and perspectives and discussed what Black History Month means to them. Here are some key takeaways from the discussion:
- Have a sense of curiosity – connect with people who may be different from you to learn from each other and help create a more inclusive workplace.
- Seek out additional knowledge and information – challenging biases can help lead to diverse insights and broader perspectives.
- Allyship is important – anyone can be involved in efforts related to diversity and inclusion.
Thank you to Bonnie Conley, Eman Habtom, DaRon Lawrence, and Scherri Scott for being a part of the panel!