In 1915, Harvard historian Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). The organization’s very first event was celebrated in February 1926, sparking an overwhelming response to learn about and promote Black culture and contributions and facilitate efforts for inclusivity and equality.
In 1976, the celebration was expanded to a month.
Today, Black History Month is one of the most celebrated cultural heritage months on the calendar. Although society still has a long road to travel in terms of racial inclusivity and equality, a large number of individuals and companies are doing their part to help create change this February and beyond.
One such individual is Sieh Johnson, software engineer and global lead of Afroflare, an employee resource group (ERG) at information technology company Cloudflare. In order to get a better pulse of how they’re honoring and celebrating Black history, Built In Austin caught up with Johnson.
What is your company doing this year to honor Black history?
Cloudflare has over 16 ERGs, including Afroflare, which is our ERG for folks of African descent and allies. As we were approaching this February’s Black History Month, I challenged myself and the Afroflare planning committee to think big. This year we will be focusing on the important culture and contributions of the African diaspora through the theme: “Why We Matter.”
With this in mind, Afroflare has invited Black professionals on Cloudflare TV, a 24/7 live television broadcast with a range of programming put on by Cloudflare employees. Here, these guests, among the likes of Julian Waits, GM of the cyber business unit and public sector at Devo, and Madison Butler, VP of talent, people and culture at Sourced Craft Cocktails, will discuss their impact in the tech space through candid fireside chats. This series will be streamed globally for audiences across the world to tune into and ask their own questions along the way.
What other activities or charitable initiatives do you have planned for Black History Month?
In addition to the “Why We Matter” Cloudflare TV segments, Afroflare is recognizing a number of key Black technology professionals throughout history who will be featured in a campaign on Cloudflare’s social media outlets. We will also write a Cloudflare blog post toward the end of February about our Afroflare group and the meaning behind “Why We Matter.”
Following the murder of George Floyd, we curated a list of anti-racist resources and suggested actions to aid our allies and circulated this company-wide. For Black History Month this year, Afroflare is creating another list of resources and suggested actions as well as volunteer opportunities for our community and allies.
As we were approaching Black History Month, I challenged myself and the Afroflare planning committee to think big.”
What are some ongoing programs, initiatives or benefits your company offers to support and empower Black employees throughout the year?
Cloudflare has an inclusion council comprised of ERG leaders designed to surface and incite feedback on topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Our people team worked to produce a three-part education series with a goal of educating employees about the effects of unconscious bias in the workplace and delivering strategies to mitigate it.
Last year, we worked with Cloudflare leadership to coordinate and produce an educational event called “Cloudflare’s Day On: Learning & Inclusion,” to address racism in the tech industry. This was a company-wide day of engagement and reflection, focusing on how we as individuals and an organization can all be anti-racist.
