To recognize Black History Month and celebrate Black achievement and excellence in America, Fors Marsh Group‘s (FMG) Black@FMG affinity group and Driving Inclusion and Valuing Equity (DIVE) Committee created a Black Culture Curation Series. This series highlights four lenses through which FMG celebrated Black culture this February: 

• Voices and Visuals—Poetry and visual arts created by Black Americans.
• Breaking Bread—Black-owned businesses and recipes.
• Follow the Wave—Powerful Black voices in social media.
• Songs and Stories—Music and entertainment from the Black perspective.

In alignment with each lens, FMG’s DIVE Committee and the Black@FMG affinity group curated a series of resource documents that highlight Black innovators, artists, influencers, recipes, media, and more. We encourage you to explore these resources to begin, or continue, discovering the powerful legacy that Black Americans have worked so hard to build in America.

In 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. The first official Black History Month was observed 105 years later, in 1970. This celebration was hard-won, and the fight for equity and inclusion for Black communities in the United States is far from over. 

Black History Month is a time to celebrate the achievements of Black Americans, recognize the challenges they have faced, and to honor the vital role that Black communities have played in our country’s past, continue to hold in our present, and will inhabit in America’s future.

To learn more about FMG’s DIVE Committee, the Black@FMG affinity group, and our commitment to building a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace, visit our Culture page.

About the author

FMG Driving Inclusion and Valuing Equity Committee

Jasmine Wheeler, Ph.D., Co-Chair

As the co-chair for FMG's Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee, Dr. Jasmine Wheeler leads FMG's efforts to identify, set, communicate, and implement diversity and inclusion goals and programs. Dr. Wheeler is also a researcher on the Military Recruiting Research team, where she supports research that examines the individual, social, and environmental factors that drive interest in military service on behalf of the Department of Defense (DOD). Dr. Wheeler has over seven years of experience in qualitative/quantitative research methodology, survey design, project management, and proposal development.

Shelbi Hall, Co-Chair

As the co-chair for FMG's Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee, Shelbi Hall leads FMG's efforts to identify, set, communicate, and implement diversity and inclusion goals and programs. Joining FMG in 2018, Shelbi serves a Human Resources Generalist to assist employees during their career at FMG. She reinforces policies and procedures as well as assists in employee relations, performance management, training and development, and benefits and compensation.