Over the past few months, Southwire recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Day., Black History Month, Women’s History Month and more by hosting efforts across the company that provided team members with resources and opportunities to get more involved and learn more about these topics. 

Many of these efforts were led by over 30 TEAM Champions located at facilities across the organization. These individuals are committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at their local sites and facilities and are equipped with the tools to influence and lead change.

In January, we honored Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 16, to celebrate the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an influential American civil rights leader. 

In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, facilities across the organization honored his legacy by wearing clothing designed to represent the holiday, creating “quote walls” for team members to share their favorite and most inspirational MLK quotes, reading his book 'Where Do We Go From Here: Community or Chaos' for the company-wide book club, participating in local parades and doing community service activities.  

“Our facility is very dedicated to celebrating many different events and holidays as we have a wide range of cultures and backgrounds that are a big part of our team,” said Albany Turner, TEAM champion in Youngsville and sales support specialist. “We look at Martin Luther King Jr. as a role model as we try to build a loving and inclusive environment for all team members.” 
 

Throughout February, in honor of Black History Month, Southwire facilities came together to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions, achievements and experiences of African Americans throughout history. Facilities put together various activities and learning opportunities for team members to participate in. 

“During Black History Month, the Waukegan Plant focused on educating our workforce on the importance of this month and celebrated by passing out goodie bags, stickers and bookmarks with famous black inventors on them,” said Allison O’Connell, People & Culture specialist. “Our focus was to educate our team members about the significance of the month by having conversations designed for them to learn something new and impactful.”
 

In March, Southwire celebrated Women’s History Month, which is dedicated to honoring and celebrating women’s contributions to history, culture and society around the world, by coming together to honor and recognize the important role women play in our workforce.

“To celebrate Women’s History Month, MSG and General Services displayed different women that have contributed to our country on our display board and passed out flyers,” said Barbara Armstrong, EHS specialist and TEAM Champion. “I think it is important to show that women have made a major contribution to the workforce and are continuing to break barriers every day."

 Furthermore, Southwire also hosted a Fireside Chat on the topic of women in manufacturing with Ruth Shaw, a former member of Southwire’s Board of Directors. Shaw discussed her experiences as a prominent woman in manufacturing and gave her views on what she sees for the future of this industry regarding gender diversity. 

“As we look to the future, I hope that we come to have a respect for each other as human beings and a recognition that we all do better together,” said Shaw. “I believe we will continue to see more progress toward a more inclusive workplace.”
 

In addition to these larger efforts, Southwire facilities also celebrated Honduran Women’s Day, Lunar New Year, Wear Red Day, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and highlighted the winners of its Super Bowl Contest.

To learn more about Southwire’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, click here . For more Southwire news, visit www.southwire.com/newsroom.