This February, as we celebrate Black History Month, our employees have come together to express what Black History means to us. Our diversity makes us stronger as a company, country and world. Stay tuned on our social media for more employees stories!

“Black History <onth is a time to honor all that is Black Excellence! For my daughter’s and I, it’s our time to celebrate the contributions of Black athletes in the game of hockey. Hockey is such a huge part of our lives, as both my daughter’s play travel hockey. We will celebrate by attending a movie screening for the documentary Soul on Ice: Past, Present & Future. This film spotlights many of the unknown accomplishments and the established history of Black athletes in hockey.

We will then cheer for our favorite NHL team, the Minnesota Wild, as they take on the Las Vegas Knights on February 9 at the Xcel Energy Center. The Wild will be wearing a special edition Black History jersey during warmups that I helped design. I will also be making the “Let’s Play Hockey” announcement before the game and players in my nonprofit, Mosaic Hockey Collective, will showcase their skills in a shootout in between periods. My mission is to build an inclusive hockey community that empowers Black and other players of color with skills, resources, and positive experiences to grow and give back to the game. Black History Month is the perfect time to advance that mission.” –Meredith Lang, Talent Development, HDQ

“Black History Month is a time of celebration and reflection. I celebrate the great courage, bravery and accomplishments Black Americans have made nationally and globally. But more importantly, I reflect on the fact that my skin color is both a blessing and a curse. I remember vividly a high school classmate telling me in front of the whole class that I was too dark to be seen and would not be heard so why even speak. This left a permanent scar inside of me. Now, I celebrate that I can have friends of all shades and nationalities. Black History Month highlights the progress made but there is so much more that can be done.” – Valarie Millard, Regional Crew Manager, JFK

“For me, Black history Month goes beyond one month of celebrations. It’s my everyday life. Everything I do, all my actions, becomes a part of Black history. As a former Black engineer and now an airline pilot, it’s important to me that my story inspires those who look like me to believe that they too can occupy spaces that have historically only had a small percentage of people of color.

As I reflect on my journey as a Black pilot, I’m reminded of all the who helped me get where I am today. I’m most thankful for my mother, whose unconditional love and unwavering support kept me going through the most challenging times.” –Nana Amponsah, First Officer, MSP