Supporting Black/African American Diversity in the Workplace

It’s our people who make Bank of America what it is today. We realize the power of diversity and value all our differences. Thanks to our teammates, we are an inclusive company focused on responsible growth.

We are committed to investing in our Black/African American community, including supporting our Black/African American employees, delivering for our Black/African American clients, and helping advance thriving economies in all the communities we serve.

Investing in our employees

Photo of Trevia Chatman Photo of Trevia Chatman Photo of Trevia Chatman

Investing in our employees

We are committed to recruit, retain and promote diverse talent to our company. We partner with external organizations to identify diverse talent. In the U.S., we have joined forces with many colleges and universities, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), to recruit our next generation of leaders.

 

Our Black Professional Group (BPG) was one of our first Employee Networks and now has more than 17,000 members in chapters across the U.S. BPG supports the recruitment, retention and development of Black/African American employees, offers mentoring to develop leadership skills and hosts networking and virtual events.

 

Established in 2012, our Black Executive Leadership Council has more than 300 members and is committed to increasing the representation and supporting the advancement of Black/African American talent at the bank.

 

Our programs like Diverse Leaders Sponsorship, Women’s Executive Development, Next Level Leadership and Multicultural Women Ready to Lead, alongside partners such as Executive Leadership Council, Black Enterprise, Diversity Woman Media, Coqual and MLT further enable us to identify, develop and support the career aspirations of diverse talent.

Learn more about our Employee Networks

“I am grateful for the dynamic leaders that I have gleaned from throughout my career. Because of their unwavering support and exceptional example – I learned the importance of building genuine relationships, making space for all voices to be heard, and the necessity to create opportunities for others like me to succeed,” 

Trevia Chatman, President, Bank of America Memphis.

On servant leadership

Headshot_of_Bernard Hampton Headshot_of_Bernard Hampton Headshot_of_Bernard Hampton

On servant leadership

Bernard Hampton, East Division executive, Preferred Banking is a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC). The ELC is one of the most prestigious organizations in the U.S. committed to developing Black/African American leaders and increasing the number of Black/African American leaders in c-suite roles and on corporate boards. Bernard is now amongst several Bank of America leaders who are members of ELC: D. Steve Boland, Patrick Carey, Tiffany Eubanks-Saunders and Richard Nichols, along with our Lead Independent Director Lionel Nowell and Board of Directors Member Arnold Donald.

Black History Month: A time to reflect

Black History Month, a time to reflect on the history, achievements and contributions of Black/African Americans and their role in U.S. history and at Bank of America. As a global company, our workforce reflects the communities where we live and work, and we know that these diverse backgrounds and experiences make Bank of America a great place to work and strengthen our client offering. BPG hosts several virtual and in-person events across the country to honor Black History Month.

The importance of recognizing Black History Month

Mark Bennett Mark Bennett Mark Bennett

The importance of recognizing Black History Month

“Each year, I study a different leader from the Civil Rights Movement, to ensure accomplishments achieved by these leaders don’t go unnoticed, which serves as an annual reminder to pay it forward. I believe that if you continue to model the way and share your inspired vision, your journey will encourage the hearts of others to do great things.” - Mark Bennett, Managing Director, Southeast Region Executive, Business Banking and President of Bank of America Jacksonville and previous enterprise co-leader of BPG

Supporting community, arts and culture

We have longstanding national and local partnerships with nonprofits that serve the Black/African American community. We are proud to sponsor programs that examine key aspects of American history, including the PBS films, Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise, and Making Black America: Through the Grapevine. Bank of America is also a founding donor of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and our chairman and CEO, Brian Moynihan, sits on the board of directors.

Through our National Community Advisory Council (NCAC), created in 2005, we work closely with organizations such as the National Urban League, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the NAACP, who provide perspective and advice on critical issues affecting our clients, employees, and communities. We’re also giving 100,000 women entrepreneurs, with a focus on women of color, the opportunity to gain business acumen through the Bank of America Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Cornell.

Marching towards the future

Marching towards the future

We continue to promote diversity, and drive inclusion both inside and outside our corporate walls. This work supports responsible growth and allows us to live our purpose of improving financial lives. We know this work is important as it fosters a great environment for our teammates and drives economically stronger and safer communities. We’ll continue to do this work, invest in, inspect outcomes, and engage and listen to continuously drive change.