READING Buses is letting its workers take centre stage for Black History Month.
Every week during October, the company is shining light on a different Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) employee.
Each individual will then share their experiences and culture to honour the campaign.
“We’re incredibly lucky at Reading Buses to have a workforce as diverse as the population of Reading itself,” a company spokesperson said.
The first feature highlights Reading Buses finance director Laurence Jenkins.
Born to a white British mother and a black Zambian father, Mr Jenkins has written a heartfelt feature for the company’s weekly employee bulletin and social media channels.
“Black History Month gives us a chance to focus on and celebrate the contribution of BAME people in our society and develop our understanding of Black history in general,” Mr Jenkins said.
“I grew up thinking that people of colour like myself couldn’t possibly make it to the most senior positions in companies.
“Black History Month is personally important to me as I believe there is still a lot of inequality, even in today’s modern times.”
Mr Jenkins added: “It makes me so sad when I look at the statistics like UK unemployment, where rates are significantly higher for ethnic minorities (12.9%) compared to white people (6.3%).
“We all have a responsibility to challenge and educate whenever we hear or see any form of racism or prejudice.”
This week’s Black Lives Matter feature is highlighting Mark Adams, employee director and a member of Reading Buses’ engineering team.
For more information, visit: www.reading-buses.co.uk/black-history-month