Third Bridge has been committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment from the very beginning! Before the CoronaVirus pandemic hit in 2020, we held many in-person office events to support and celebrate the black community across the company and its global offices. Back in 2020, Marcus McGee, Team Leader, and Karlene Joseph, Head of Product and Programmes, discussed their personal experiences of being black at Third Bridge and more broadly in the UK and US, with the help of TED talks by Jabari Lyles, an educator and non-profit leader, and Wall Street veteran Carla Harris. The D&I council also hosted one of the world’s most eminent black historians, professor Hakim Adi, who covered 10,000 years of black history in just 40 minutes – spanning from the Roman empire to 20th century mass migration!
A look back at 2021
In February 2021, as part of Black History Month 2021, we launched a survey to interview some of our Black employees and allies to tell us: what they wanted us to know when we look at them.
We also recognised Black Pound Day — a monthly community event and campaign on the first Saturday of every month to drive support and raise awareness for Black-owned businesses. An amazing movement as we work towards bridging racial divides in both our work and personal lives. Once Covid restrictions eased and we were allowed to get back together safely our CEO and Founder, hosted our BlkBridge group in his home for a fun and exciting evening, discussing and celebrating black history and culture.
Later in 2021 we also ran the European D&I Council’s first in-person event since 2019! Veteran British-Caribbean Actor; star of Eastenders and Top Boy: Suzette Llewellyn returned to Third Bridge to discuss her new book Still Breathing: 100 Black Voices on Racism, 100 Ways to Change the Narrative, joined by contributors Suzette Llewellyn, Pat Younge and our very own Albie Amankona.
What does 2022 look like for us?
On the 17th January, we acknowledged MLK Day 2022, where we remembered Dr Martin Luther King Jr. whose teachings continue to inspire us to stand up for equality and build a world and workplace free of discrimination and prejudice. We also held a fantastic panel event to celebrate American Black History Month and its theme: Black Health and Wellness.
At Third Bridge, we are proud to support and celebrate the history of the black community. We have a number of exciting initiatives coming up as part of our 2022 ESG calendar!
