Golden Key Group Honors Black History Month

Throughout the month of February, Golden Key Group employees celebrated Black History Month in a unique way.

Ahead of the month, GKG’s Inclusion and Culture team asked employees to submit stories about black people who have been inspirational, motivational, and meaningful in their lives. 

Employee Submissions

Submissions flooded in and GKG employees shared engaging stories about a wide range of inspirational black people – from those no longer with us, to family members and friends, celebrities, military members, and politicians. Not only did this help employees learn a little more about the people they work with, but it also allowed for the discovery of new faces and names.

Inspirational Family Members

GKG’s I&C Deputy Program Director Hind Daanouni wrote beautifully about how her daughter, Amira, inspires her every day.

Another member of the team spoke about their mother. Donnielle DeMesme, GKG’s Vice President of Leadership and Development, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Culture, shared the life lessons her mother taught her.

The bond between a mother-daughter is not one that can be easily broken, and we are thankful Hind and Donnielle shared their stories.

Honoring Military Leaders

A post submitted by GKG’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager, Beverly Davis, honors a military veteran who became the first African American Doctor of Aerospace Medicine. Colonel Leonard Johnson oversaw over 200,000 medical airlifts, including the evacuation of POWs from Vietnam.

Lynsee Gibbons, Manager of Corporate Marketing and Communications, shared her own story about a family friend, Command Master Chief Banks, who spent 30 years in the U.S. Navy and inspired many.

Recognizable Faces

It was also interesting to learn how famous black people have personally inspired and impacted folks in the GKG family. GKG’s Accounting Assistant, Natascha Hampton, shared how Oprah Winfrey inspires her to never give up, even when the obstacles get tough.

GKG’s Customer Engagement Lead, Connie Spencer, shared how Maya Angelou inspires her to want to carry on Maya’s ideals and values. 

All other employee posts can be found on all our social media pages.

Our Podcast

Along with the inspirational posts, GKG also produced a podcast for Black History Month. GKG On Air’s host, Lynsee Gibbons, was joined by Sonya Miranda, GKG’s Senior Training & Organizational Development Consultant.

In the episode, Sonya shares an incredible story that unveils a family legacy. It’s a journey about reclaiming a family’s past that was recently featured in The Washington Post.

Sonya and her family grew up in Pittsylvania County – a small county in southern Virginia. In their hometown, there was one particular house that held secrets for over 160 years, and now, has been the answer to questions Sonya had her entire life. It was not until Sonya’s cousin, Fredrick, purchased the house, known as Sharswood Manor, that finally some of these secrets came to light. What began as a real estate endeavor suddenly became a walk through the past, as Sonya and her family discovered their own ancestors were once enslaved to that property – a former plantation.

Listen to the full episode here.