Expanding Perspectives on Black History Month

I have grown quite a bit this month – mentally and emotionally.  

February 2022 brought many happy moments for me. I was especially thrilled to meet many SAP colleagues around the world during celebrations of #BlackHistoryMonth. While this month of commemoration is usually a dedicated time for paying tribute to the triumphs and struggles of African Americans, we at SAP invited in all our colleagues from around the world into the celebrations. I thought it was the right approach for two reasons: 

• The contributions of African Americans have help shaped not only American culture, but our entire global society, and it is an incredible honor to celebrate this around the world. 
• As members of one multi-national organization, it is upon each one of us to expand our perspectives on the experiences of the Black community so we can truly work together as One SAP family. 

So, throughout the month, the colleagues from the Black Employee Network (BEN), in partnership with many teams including my own, focused on activities for their members and opened the doors to all SAP colleagues. This year, BEN chose to focus on the theme of “Black Health and Wellness” and organized several informative events. One significant session included a talk with Shoshana Johnson, who was the first African American Prisoner of War in Iraq. BEN also hosted an “Ask a Black Doctor” session with a panel of physicians from Gateway Medical Association.  

The finale of this month and our efforts to bring a global perspective was achieved by the launch of a conversation series titled “Expanding Perspectives”. During this interactive session, seven members of SAP’s Black Employee Network (BEN) came together to discuss the importance of Black History Month and share their varied perspectives on the Black experience. Their unique experiences as individuals from the Black community in different parts of the world brought home the varied nature of their life experiences and a common thread of accepting who you are, the need for love, respect and belonging for all of us. Learning about the successes and challenges that have defined these colleagues’ journeys at SAP was an eye-opening experience and I’m grateful for their candor. 

Some of my favorite takeaways from the session were from Jimmy MacFarlane, Demand Management Manager at SAP, and Stephen Ngoka, Partner Experience Manager at SAP, who shared their perspectives on allyship.  

“Allyship is not about waiting for a tragic event”, said Stephen, “allyship is being empathetic, showing up and wanting to learn”. 

“As an ally in a position of power, you have got to realize that it’s going to take YOU to say something”, said Jimmy, “when you hear something, you need to do something. Action over words; it’s going to take all of us.”. 

While this session marked the finale of Black History Month celebrations at SAP, we all strongly believe that the celebration and commitment to the Black community is an integral part of our Diversity & Inclusion strategy and our ongoing efforts throughout the year.  

Our efforts will continue this year with a focus on attracting and supporting Black talent in our workforce and SAP will continue contributing in the marketplace via social investments and human expertise/volunteering initiatives. I am thrilled to be on this journey of discovery and movement and I’m optimistic that this conscious organization will make a real difference in the lives of many.  

For all my readers, I count on you for positive wishes and collaboration in our journey.