BOLD Employee Resource Group

A holiday that commemorates the June 19, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery in the state of Texas. Since then, June 19 has been celebrated as Juneteenth across the nation.
On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas through the efforts of Al Edwards, an African American state legislator. The successful passage of this bill marked Juneteenth as the first emancipation celebration granted official state recognition.
Juneteenth celebrations focus on education and self improvement, and are punctuated by activities such as rodeos, fishing, barbecuing, and baseball.
Economic and cultural forces led to a decline in Juneteenth activities and participants beginning in the early 1900s, but a resurgence occurred in the 50s & 60s as the struggle for racial equality escalated.
The future of Juneteenth looks bright as the number of cities and states creating Juneteenth committees continues to increase as a way to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture.

Our African American employee resource group, BOLD, interviewed local business and community leaders about the Black experience in corporate America. These conversations revealed important insights and action-driven wisdom. The series include:

How allies can promote inclusion.
How the Black experience is different.
How the Black employees need to overcome stereotypes on a daily basis.
How we as a society should prioritize inclusion in both our community and the corporate environment.

The image shows a gallery exhibit highlighting unique African American history that was on display during BOLD's 2020 Kickoff Event.

Featured Employee: BOLD leader Margaret Hocker

How can we make a difference and make paths through our employee resources groups.

Featured Employee: Darrin Manning

CBTS Sr. Director of Cloud Operations Darrin Manning, whose mother set him on his career path, describes his passion for equal access to opportunities.

Featured Employee: John Washington

John Washington, Cincinnati Bell Manager of the Common Language Standards Group, talks about his passion for communications and why he chose a career in technology.

Featured Employee: Ronnisha Barnes

Ronnisha Barnes is a CBTS Service Desk Manager. Hear about how the African American culture formed her identity and learn how she was nurtured by her mentor.

Featured Employee: Tamika Green

Cincinnati Bell's Sr. Director of Planning and Engineering, Tamika Green, describes how her curiosity of technology began and her current involvement with a youth mentor group.