The African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) will host a new five-part virtual event, the Commitment to Change Conversation Series, on August 10-14, 2020. This series is designed to inspire and empower credit union professionals to lead with a mindset of diversity, equity and inclusion during these challenging racial and public health crises to better represent, serve and achieve positive outcomes for communities of color.
The virtual series is part of the organization’s larger Commitment to Change: Credit Unions Unite Against Racism initiative and will take place in lieu of the organization’s annual conference, which was scheduled for August 11-14 in St. Petersburg, Fla. and has been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The weeklong series will feature daily 90-minute virtual sessions led by expert panelists representing financial services, social justice, mental health and academia. Topics will include emotional fortitude, leadership during times of crisis, community action, and financial, economic and income equality within the context of being and serving people of color.
“As financial professionals, we believe credit unions are uniquely positioned to affect meaningful change in the fight against social injustice,” said Renée Sattiewhite, AACUC President/CEO. “As Black professionals, we are eager to share insights from our unique experiences and exchange strategies with allies to help us build a more diverse and inclusive workforce so that we can impact the communities where we live. I’m confident this new virtual format affords us even greater opportunity to reach more people and provide value that’s particularly relevant in this current environment.”
The AACUC was quick to respond to social justice activities precipitated by the death of George Floyd earlier this year, hosting virtual roundtables and listening sessions. Prior to these events, AACUC led the way by connecting its members with critical resources and relief efforts, including the Payment Protection Program and CDC public health guidance, as the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected Black Americans. The AACUC partnered with African-American outreach efforts from the White House, the National Credit Union Administration and the Credit Union National Association to ensure the experiences of people of color were told, heard and accounted for.
“This has been an incredibly complex time for the African-American community and has underscored the health, economic and social inequalities this community continuously faces,” explained Sattiewhite. “We’re committed to staying engaged and developing opportunities where diversity, equity and inclusion take a front seat – because Black credit union professionals and Black communities matter.”
Florida-based credit union service organization PSCU will be the event sponsor, while Suncoast Credit Union, the largest credit union headquartered in Florida, will serve as the local host for the virtual event. The event will be free and open to the public. Event and registration information can be found at www.aacuc.org.
About the African-American Credit Union Coalition
The African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) was created to increase the strength of the global credit union community and seeks to increase diversity within the credit union community through advocacy and professional development. AACUC is a non-profit organization comprised of African-American professionals, volunteers, vendor partners and allies in the credit union industry. AACUC supports programs that expand the interest and the number of minorities in the credit union movement; increase outreach of the credit union movement in African countries and in the United States through mentoring, scholarship programs and educational opportunities for credit union professionals and volunteers towards professional development and advancement; and most importantly enhance internship and scholarship programs for African-American college students in pursuit of careers in financial services to introduce them to and encourage them to seek employment within the credit union movement. For more information, visit: www.aacuc.org or follow us on social media at: Facebook.com/AACUC1, Linkedin.com/company/AACUC or Twitter.com/AACUC1.
