In honor of Black History Month in February, it is important to share the stories and names of prominent Black History Makers that have helped shape American history. The primary reason that February was selected as the month of recognition is because the second week coincides with the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. Lincoln and Douglas were both influential figures in the abolishing of slavery in the United States. Traditionally, African Americans would hold celebrations during the second week of February to honor the birthdays of these men and, most importantly, emancipation.
At VERITÀ®, diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of who we are. Our commitment to these values is resolute – spanning all the work we do across the Great Lakes Region. We know that having varied perspectives helps generate better ideas and achieves a broader range of skills among employees.
Every Friday throughout February, VERITÀ is honoring Black History Month by featuring a prominent Black History Maker on social media. From poets and writers to pioneers of technology, there is a diverse range of talents and contributions that have sculpted American history. Jesse Russell, Digital Cellular Tech Pioneer, was instrumental in shaping the wireless communications industry’s direction. He conceptualized new wireless services, standards, and technologies. Russell’s niche was in the field of digital cellular communications which he pioneered in the 1980s using high-power linear amplification and low bit-rate voice encoding. Today, with over thirty years of experience, he was over 100 patents granted.
With two more Fridays left in the month, we are excited to share the stories of more Black History Makers on VERITÀ’s social media channels. However, the recognition is never complete. As a corporation, we will always promote and appreciate the valuable contributions of black history and we will always recognize that black history is American history.
