Main image, L-R: Bessie Coleman, W.E.B. Du Bois, Harry Belafonte, Thurgood Marshall and Harriet Tubman
In honor of Black History Month, members of Cambia’s Black Organization for Leadership Development Employee Resource Group (BOLD ERG) shared about the historical figures who inspire them most.
Kyona Fryar, experience and transformation consultant, has been with Cambia for more than 16 years. Her hero is Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to earn an aviation pilot’s license and the first Black person to earn an international aviation license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Fryar admires that, “Bessie did not let her gender, ethnicity, economic status, or systematic oppression prevent her from reaching her goals.”
Jenny Labissiere, data management and governance consultant, has been with Cambia for 2½ years. Labissiere is inspired by W.E.B. Du Bois. “Growing up as a first-generation American with Haitian heritage, my family's dinner table and gatherings were filled with narratives of Haiti's rich history and culture. These stories instilled in me a deep pride in our roots, particularly the tale of a people who liberated themselves to establish the first Black republic in the Western Hemisphere,” Labissiere says. “This upbringing ignited my passion for learning about diverse cultures within the diaspora and led me to the intriguing story of W.E.B. Du Bois. His exploration of his Haitian paternal ancestry and advocacy for Haiti during crucial moments in 20th-century Haitian-U.S. relations resonated with my own journey, revealing how Du Bois's personal biography intricately informed his expansive vision of the Black world.”
Jarad Legard, an associate general counsel in the legal department, has been with Cambia for nearly two years. The historical figure that inspires him is Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice. “Thurgood Marshall broke significant racial barriers in the American legal system,” Legard says. “I feel a sense of pride and responsibility in continuing the legacy of those who fought for justice and equality.”
Debbie Reynolds, a clinical services operations quality assurance specialist, has been with Cambia for 17 years. Her hero is Harry Belafonte. She says, “Not only was he an American singer, but also an actor and civil rights activist who was considered a close confidant of Martin Luther King Jr., but also acted as the American Civil Liberties Union celebrity ambassador for juvenile justice issues.” Reynolds appreciates learning new things during Black History Month. “I truly love learning something new about Black history that I had not known before,” she says.
Celicia Yeoman, corporate social responsibility manager, has been with Cambia for over 20 years. She is inspired by Harriet Tubman. “The bold courage and determination and fearlessness she showed throughout her life is admirable,” Yeoman says. “And she didn’t just help people escape slavery, she also was a caretaker, nurse, suffragist among so many other admirable roles.”
