Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led an extraordinary life of service and commitment to equality, ideals that remain as important as ever more than five decades later.
His example is one we try to follow every day at VyStar Credit Union. We strive to represent the broad diversity among our membership and the communities we serve, and we believe that recognizing and celebrating our differences is important to our success.
That’s one reason why in 2020 we created VyStar Resource Groups (VRGs), which create an inclusive and diverse environment that fosters creativity and innovation. We currently have 10 VRGs, one of which is Shades of Success, our African Heritage group.
Shades of Success focuses on professional and leadership development, community involvement, education, and cultural awareness in support of employees of African heritage. Its members can often be found in the communities we serve, such as the upcoming MLK Holiday Grand Parade being held Jan. 17 in downtown Jacksonville. Our team will have a float in the parade, and participants will hand out lanyards along the parade route. Employees, members and the community are invited to attend this free event.
Ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, members of Shades of Success shared what the day means to them:
“MLK Day means equality. Dr. King fought for basic equalities, but more importantly he wanted those equalities to come in a unified manner amongst all races, not just African Americans.” — Keith McDuffie, Shades of Success Financial Director
“MLK Day is important to me because it represents the effort to achieve equality for everyone. Equality not just regarding race, but for everyone of where they’re from, what they look like or what they believe. For me it is a day full of hope. Hope that one day the world might look like MLK dreamed it could be.” — Heather Horovitz, Shades of Success Executive Secretary
“MLK Day to me means that regardless of what you're going through and who you are- use your voice and speak for the unheard and support those unique differences that others may see as a threat. United we can do and learn a great deal, even if we don't realize it yet.” — Sheila McMullen, Shades of Success Financial Director
“MLK Day serves as a reminder to keep vigilant, to ensure our ancestors’ struggles and achievements are not in vain, do not become complacent as the darkness of the past is always lurking to make a new appearance, love one another, teach one another.” — Pamela Singleton, Shades of Success Committee Champion
“MLK Day to me means ‘Change.’ It’s a constant reminder we are forever evolving and real change happens over a period of time.” — Roshawnda Reese, Shades of Success Secretary
“Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life fighting his mission and we all live in the wake of his legacy and the freedoms of that price. His sacrifice is a constant reminder that equality, equity and inclusion isn’t just a distant dream or a pretty quote: it’s a mission worth the fight of our lives.” — Channing Hinton, Shades of Success Communication and Content Director
The content provided in this blog consists of the opinions and ideas of the author alone and should be used for informational purposes only. VyStar Credit Union disclaims any liability for decisions you make based on the information provided.