Diversity is more than just a buzzword for our teams – we’re  committed to taking meaningful action to bring underrepresented voices to the table and ensure a true culture of inclusivity and acceptance. At HARMAN, Black History Month gives us the opportunity to honor the countless Black professionals who have contributed to the success, growth and innovative spirit of our organization. This past month under the guidance of HARMAN’s Black Professionals Network, our team members have been participating in several educational and inspirational events in recognition of Black History Month. Read on for a look at some of this month’s highlights…

Elevating Black Voices
HARMAN is dedicated to ensuring that Black voices are amplified within our organization and our team members feel empowered to share their stories and experiences. Through a series of live Q&A sessions our employees heard from their colleagues Kheri Tillman, Vice President of Global Brand Services; Quincy Reese, Director, Design Center – Marketing; and Chandel Gibbs, LEAP – HR Associate. 

The HARMAN Black Professionals Network also sponsored an external guest speaker series, featuring Jermain Hargrove, Hargrove Industries LLC, Founder and CEO Small Town Animation Studios; Sydney G. James, fine arts painter and muralist; and Solomon Johnson, artist and author of illustrated children’s stories – Places We Go With Media.

Interactive Panel Discussions
Allyship is an essential part of fostering a culture where people can freely be who they are and be part of a shared vision. At HARMAN, we know it is up to all of us to help push for equality both inside and outside the workplace. As one of our most passionate diversity advocates, our President of Digital Transformations Solutions (DTS), and Chief Information and Digital Officer, Nick Parrotta, joined our Vice President of Global DE&I and Corporate Functions, Lorena Loya, to speak about allyship, the importance of acknowledging privilege, and more during a virtual panel discussion.

At HARMAN, we believe that diversity spurs creative thinking and innovation, and when we bring unique voices to the table in a meaningful way, there is no limit to what we can achieve. During National Engineers Week (February 21st) Preston Smart, Engineer, Acoustic Systems, led a panel discussion with Jason B. Johnson, Director of User Experience Design & Detroit Studio Lead; Demetric Walls, Senior Project Test Lead, Automotive; and Garry Campbell, Software Requirements Engineer, where they discussed the topic of diversity in engineering.

Thinking about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
During the month of February, for 21 days, we asked HARMAN employees to challenge themselves to experience a deeper understanding of how inequity and racism affect our lives and our communities. The 21-Day Equity Challenge is a powerful opportunity to explore topics of Understanding Privilege, Housing & Redlining, Health and Financial Disparities, Justice System Inequities, Allyship and many more. The 21-Day Equity Habit-Building Challenge originally was developed by racial justice educator and author Debby Irving along with Drs. Eddie Moore Jr. and Marguerite Penick-Parks.

Celebrating the Impact of Black Culture on Music
As a pioneer in audio technology and solutions, HARMAN has had an impact on music history in many ways – from developing inventive solutions such as the first car radio to powering the sound behind some of the industry’s biggest events. As part of this storied legacy, we cannot forget the influence that Black culture has had and continues to have on music, and how it has shaped some of the most popular artists and genres of all time. As part of HARMAN’s Black History Month, we developed a Spotify playlist for employees and featured a recorded interview with Damien Curry (Product Manager, Ref Monitors and Headphones), Neal Pogue (Producer, Audio Engineer and Mixer – Grammy Award winner) and Herb Trawick (Executive Producer/Co-Host Pensados Place) who spoke about some of the most influential Black artists and honored their contributions to music history.

As an organization, we have always believed that our diverse teams are the backbone of our success and that we are better together. This February – and during the months ahead – we’re reinforcing our commitment to all of our employees as we continue to create an inclusive and welcoming workplace for our global colleagues. This is just the beginning – we know the DE&I journey is not over and there is still work to be done. For more information about our efforts to make every employee feel welcomed, valued, and empowered to succeed at HARMAN, visit: https://jobs.harman.com/diversity