An annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history, Black History Month is the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of African Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.
Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating black history. An important month for DB Schenker’s team members, leaders, business partners, and customers, Black History Month is a great time to continue integrating diversity into our business, promote cross-cultural comprehension, and focus on building out a diverse base of suppliers.
It’s also a time to honor valued team members and the contributions that they make to DB Schenker on a daily basis.
Darrick Jackson
Regional Manager
For Darrick Jackson, Black History Month serves as a reminder to honor those individuals who have made the positive changes that allow him to be where he is today. “Black History Month is a time to celebrate our trailblazers,” says Jackson, who unfortunately lost two of his most valuable mentors during the final months of 2018. Both had huge influences on his life, and he’ll miss them dearly.
“My father-in-law taught me the meaning of humility and staying the course no matter what storms come my way,” Jackson says. “The second was my step-dad who opened my eyes at an early age and gave me glimpses of the many possibilities that are in front of me.”
As he celebrates the lives of those mentors and continues to heal, Jackson says he’ll also be honoring those who came before him during the month of February. “When I think about what I enjoy most about my culture,” he says, “it’s definitely our uniqueness, our history, and our possibilities.”
Corenzo English
Compliance Manager, USA
With over 10 years of regulatory compliance and privacy experience, Corenzo English joined Schenker, Inc., in October of 2018. Currently, English serves as the company’s U.S. Country Compliance Manager. He works diligently to support Country Management and ensure that Schenker’s Compliance Management System is implemented on a country level.
“Each day, I can be found reviewing contracts, conducting trainings, vetting potential business partners, and/or answering compliance-related inquiries from colleagues abroad,” says English, who believes that diversity leads to innovation, and that innovation often leads to business success.
“Working at Schenker over the past couple of months, I have met a lot of colleagues from different nationalities and countries across the globe,” says English, “which speaks to Schenker’s diverse corporate culture.”
For English, Black History Month is a celebration of past and present achievements of African Americans and their contributions that “helped shape the U.S. as we know it today.”
