Pega’s website states: “The ability to be empathetic is the bedrock of inclusion… [and is] critical to success… [aligning with our mission to broaden] the pipeline of future technologists from… underserved backgrounds.” This mission encapsulates the theme of Black History Month here at Pega: empowering engagement, uniting minds, and inspiring change. As a member of the Black@Pega ERG, I’m pleased Pega manifests mission-aligned results all year, not just during Black History Month. Our company recognizes that Black history is American history; therefore, progress entails consistent growth and recognition of our diverse employees and their diverse backgrounds.
Professor, author, and activist Dr. Cornel West once stated, “I always felt called to serve, to empower and to ennoble as many people as I could, teaching, truth-telling…bearing witness, and…I had a passion and love of learning and wisdom that was inseparable from a love of …the arts.” Dr. West is the epitome of someone who empowers engagement, unites minds, and inspires change. When I reflect on my formative years in Minnesota, I am humbled. Engaging in my local community held significance, inspired by my mother, a social worker. I embraced various responsibilities to contribute in any way I could with organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America. I could engage my peers in enlightening conversations about our shared communal needs, volunteer at community center events, and enhance my own mind through involvement in the arts. Like Dr. West, I longed to empower, unite, and inspire.
As I mature, I continuously seek opportunities to mentor young men with similar backgrounds to mine, volunteering in community outreach programs and partnering with multiple law enforcement organizations to strengthen community relationships and trust. Other opportunities have arisen from my connection with a local ministry group. I also coached my kids’ baseball, basketball, and soccer leagues. These opportunities allowed me to be a role model for local youth while strengthening my children’s foundational memories of a paternal figure’s engagement and commitment.
In terms of inspiring change, I am the caterpillar metamorphosizing into a change agent. One does not need to be a leader to inspire change. Sometimes people need a motivator, someone who shows up when needed to be a mentor. I strive to set an example for young men and women wherever I go and have found the same characteristic in those who have continued to support the Black@Pega initiatives. For example, in 2023, our ERG contributed their time to a variety of efforts, including but not limited to Year Up, multiple 10000 Coder webinars, and MLK Day of Service with City Year. We look to keep the Pega community engaged by continuing the popular Fireside Chat Series hosted by Paula White-Jennings, a founding member of the Black@Pega ERG.
Anyone at Pega can empower engagement, unite minds, and inspire change, not only during Black History Month but anytime there is an opportunity. Our lives and our successes are intertwined and dependent upon one another. We do not need the popularity of Dr. West to be a change agent, nor does one need a rags-to-riches story to be inspirational. One only needs the courage to speak up and take action when they notice a lack of equity, which is why I applaud Pega’s inclusion and equity practices.