On this third Monday of January, Williams celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the enduring legacy of his life’s dedication to achieving racial equality.
“At Williams, we believe that diversity and inclusion make us stronger as a company and a country,” said Lane Wilson, Sr. Vice President and General Council. “It’s our goal to promote an inclusive environment where those around us are free to be their authentic selves, feel appreciated for their contributions and achieve their full potential.”
While many MLK Day events are not being held in person, several virtual events, including a parade in Tulsa, are open for employees today and during Black History Month.
“MLK day honors the life of a true visionary whose work changed not only the nation but how businesses work across lines of difference,” said Mikeale Campbell, Williams’ program manager for Diversity & Inclusion. “It celebrates this equality in a society that he dreamed to become better for all people.”
Campbell noted that Williams’ Tulsa headquarters is just blocks from the site of the 1921 race massacre at Black Wall Street.
“One of the nation’s most famous black communities knows the value of partnership. MLK Day matters to us because it’s a day dedicated to reflection and service; reflecting on our ways of being, the progress we’ve made and understanding of all the work still to be done.”
During Black History Month, virtual programs for employees across our operations include reenactment of King’s I’ve Been to the Mountaintop speech, taped performances by school groups; and a discussion on the race massacre with historian Hannibal B. Johnson.