Black History Month 2022
Join us in celebrating Black History Month! To celebrate, we will be recognizing a few of our amazing team members who have made significant contributions. Thank you all!
Who you are and what you do here at Cumming?
I am the operations manager for Fort Point Project Management, a Cumming Company located in Boston, MA. My role is to support and enhance the overall success of the company. Typically, that includes developing business strategies for resources and projects, onboarding new employees, overseeing the office needs and acting as the liaison between departments, such as Legal, Accounting, Marketing HR, Admin, etc. No single day or week is the same. My favorite part is being the point of contact for support among everyone in the Boston region; I like being able to connect with everyone.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
Black History Month has the utmost significance in my life. I grew up in a predominately white neighborhood, where I did not see many people of color, and where there wasn’t much emphasis on the history of black people in the education system, until Black History Month. Although unfortunate, I always looked forward to that time of year because I was able to see all of the amazing accomplishments that people – who looked just like me – made that impacted the world in a significant way. It inspired me to want to be as great as them.
What Black historical figure do you most admire and why?
I am a big fan of Oprah Winfrey. When I was a kid, I used to rush home to watch her talk show. I loved how unbiased she was in her opinions and always has a diverse group of guests to speak on various topics and issues. Also, she is currently the wealthiest African-American woman in the U.S. and, the greatest black philanthropist in American history. Who wouldn’t aspire to be like her?
What do you think is most important to highlight about the celebration of black history month and why? (Culture, historical events, people, contributions to society, etc.)
I don’t think there is anything most important to highlight; they all have equal importance to me. The objective of Black History Month is to shine a light on black excellence and the black experience that wouldn’t typically get the spotlight it deserves. However, I find it important for everyone to take what they learn this month and place importance on it for themselves. This is a time to learn, reflect and grow, so we are a step closer to a more diverse, equitable and inclusive world.
Who you are and what you do here at Cumming?
I’m Chuck Wren, and I’m one of Cumming’s Directors for the Southern California Public Project Management group. I spend the majority of my time providing design and construction project management services for the Compton Unified School District to complete the new Compton High School, a $200M project. Some of Cumming’s other clients that I serve are the Riverside Sherriff’s Office and the Orange County Public Works Department by getting some of their significant projects off the ground for design and construction services.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
To me, Black History Month is a time to remember and celebrate the contributions that Black Americans have made to make the world a better place. Black History Month also provides an opportunity to normalize equality and to clarify our culture because it nurtures a world view that human civilization’s most significant contributions have been authored by those that are not of African heritage.
What Black historical figure do you most admire and why?
From the old ages, Imhotep would be the Black historical figure that I admire most because he still inspires me to think about project management. Imhotep is credited as the architect of the step-pyramid in Saqqara, Egypt, the world’s first pyramid. It’s the oldest complete stone building complex known in human history, built around 3,000 BC. While the Saqqara Pyramid has been around for 6,000 years, we still wonder about Imhotep’s construction means and methods. In modern times, it would have to be Malcom X, who still inspires me to learn more about the world and stay informed about what’s really going on. Malcom said “Read absolutely everything you get your hands on because you’ll never know where you’ll get an idea from.” And “Without education, you’re not going anywhere in this world.” He also said, “You can’t legislate good will – that comes through education.”
What do you think is most important to highlight about the celebration of black history month and why? (Culture, historical events, people, contributions to society, etc.)
Celebrating who we are and our accomplishments! That we’ve beat the odds! That we’ve made and are still making valuable and essential contributions that create a better world in spite of strong opposition that’s been baked into the mainstream culture to limit us. In spite of having been dealt fierce hostility, we’re still in the game, making fruitful contributions. We should be proud of ourselves for our can-do-spirit-no-matter-what-comes-our-way!
Who you are and what you do here at Cumming?
Tosha Leonard, and I’m a Dispute, Resolution and Avoidance (DRA) Scheduling Director in Orlando, Florida, working as a schedule consultant for Disney.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
Black History Month is a celebration of our ancestor’s contributions to America and their excellence and motivation to always strive for greatness. There is no true history if it does not include Black history.
What Black historical figure do you most admire and why?
Katherine Johnson, known as the human computer, played a very integral role in completing the necessary NASA calculations for several space missions. I admire Ms. Johnson because of her persistence, along with other influential women of color who helped establish the foundation for women like me to pursue a profession in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
What do you think is most important to highlight about the celebration of black history month and why? (Culture, historical events, people, contributions to society, etc.)
One of the historical highlights of Black History Month is the March on Washington that occurred in August 1963, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the I Have a Dream Speech. This was a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement and would become one of history’s most iconic speeches.
Who you are and what you do here at Cumming?
My name is Shannon Sanders-Bess and I am an Administrative Assistant in our Charleston, South Carolina office.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
Black History Month means survival to me. It means perseverance. Black History Month means my forefathers and mothers fought for my black skin. It’s a season to honor our ancestors, their hidden but meaningful contributions, and a time of reflection on the work that is still being done.
What Black historical figure do you most admire and why?
One Black Historical Figure that I admire is the phenomenal Mary McLeod Bethune. Ms. Bethune believed in the power of education and black scholarship when many people didn’t. From being an educator to an activist, she served as a president of the National Association of Colored Women and founded the National Council of Negro Women. I admire her because I believe, strongly within my being, that education for black people can break generational curses. The Reconstruction Era showed us that education is important for steps towards achieving equality, independence, and prosperity.
What do you think is most important to highlight about the celebration of black history month and why? (Culture, historical events, people, contributions to society, etc.)
I think that it’s so important for the American people to look at history and realize our faults. Realize where we’ve gone wrong and oppressed a large group of individuals that for so long were only considered 3/5th’s a person. We need to deconstruct and rebuild a complete ideology of how we see people and glance at the monumental historical contributions that have helped shape society as we know it. We need to give people the flowers that they deserve.