As part of Sun Life’s larger global efforts to combat racism and support organizations actively fighting for equality, Sun Life U.S. will be working with two organizations on the frontlines of promoting and fighting for racial justice and equality. Sun Life has partnered with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) and More Than a Vote, to support the nonpartisan “We Got Next” campaign aimed at voter education and recruiting young people to serve as poll workers in vulnerable Black communities across the nation during the 2020 general election. Sun Life U.S. is also supporting the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture’s new Talking About Race portal, an online resource offering digital tools, exercises, scholarly articles and multi-media resources for those interested in racial equality. In choosing these partnerships, Sun Life worked directly with Black Excellence Alliance (BEA), one of several inclusion networks at the company.
“We want to offer ongoing support to programs focused on action and long-term, sustainable resolutions to racial injustice in the United States,” said Shamika Hoyt, associate director of internal support and client outreach of Stop-Loss & Health at Sun Life, and co-director of BEA. “We look forward to contributing to the success of these initiatives, and will continue to work with them to further the fight for equality and equity.”
Internally, Sun Life has launched a racially and professionally diverse task force of employees called Allies Acting for Change, to boost the company’s inclusive hiring efforts and support for racial equality and equity within the workplace. The task force agenda includes the assessment and evolution of recruitment and retention practices as well as career development opportunities for Black and African American employees. Learn more about Sun Life’s inclusion networks and commitment to racial equality here.