Diversity News

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In celebration of Black History Month, Fifth Third Bank is hosting a live museum in the lobby of its main office in Grand Rapids (111 Lyon Street NW) on Friday, February 22.  All of the actors who will portray historical African Americans are employees of Fifth Third Bank – which makes it very cool.  The actors will reenact key moments of our nation’s past to educate and remind us of the journey our nation has traveled and honor the men and women who lived the story. Fifth Third Bank will come alive with characters impersonating some of the most important and influential figures in African American history. The Live Museum is in partnership with New Hope Baptist Church; characters will be dressed in period costumes and will reveal themselves by sharing details of their lives, struggles, and accomplishments. The historic icons will be played by Fifth Third employees and will include:  

• Harriet Tubman
• Dr. George Washington Carver
• Daniel Hale Williams
• Madame CJ Walker
• Lonnie Johnson
• Osceola McCarty
• The Negro Mother

The living history museum will also be presented at Woodland Mall the following day.

Rodney Martin, the Diversity Partner at Warner Norcross & Judd LLP, has been appointed co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee of the State Bar of Michigan. He will co-chair the committee with the Honorable Cynthia Stephens, Judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals.

Martin will serve a one-year term as co-chair of the 17-member committee, which advises the leadership of the State Bar on implementing the Pledge to Achieve Diversity and Inclusion. In July 2010, the State Bar adopted the pledge and asked law firms, bar associations, law schools, private companies and other organizations to join as signatories. To date, nearly 140 law firms and scores of other organizations and companies have pledged to work cooperatively together to achieve diversity in the “education, hiring, retention and promotion of Michigan’s attorneys.”

Martin serves on the Inclusion Advisory Council of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce and onthe advisory board of BL²END. He serves as facilitator for the Managing Partners Diversity Collaborative, which is an initiative of the Grand Rapids Bar Association, or GRBA. GRBA gave Martin its 2012 President’s Award in recognition of his special contributions in service to the board of trustees, executive committee and executive director.

On Wednesday, February 27, Diversity Partner Rodney Martin will moderate a discussion with Maureen Noe, President and CEO, Heart of West Michigan United Way, and Mary Tuuk, President of Fifth Third Bank, Western Michigan, who will share their personal stories and insights on corporate board effectiveness. The program is part of Inforum’s BoardAccess^TM initiative. For more information, visit Inforum’s website by clicking here.

Here is an interesting infographic from the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School on women at work.

Via MBA@UNC: Top MBA Online & Women 2.0

Diversity Partner Rodney Martin appeared before the Grand Rapids Public School Board on Monday, February 4 to present the awards to the winners and recipients of honorable mention recognition in the 8th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Essay Contest conducted by Warner Norcross & Judd.  Here are a couple pictures taken after the presentation.

Grand Prize winner Daijon Miller (left) and First Runner Up Tyevon Williams, with Diversity Partner Rodney Martin

2012-13 Essay Contest Winners and Honorable Mention Awardees