TRANSCRIPT Hi, my name is Terin Bates and I’m the director for volunteer management, diversity, and inclusion at Inteleos, a healthcare certification organization. I’ve been with the organization for about seven years, serving in my current role for about a year and a half. I lead all of our DEI initiatives for the organization, and I strive to make sure that all of those initiatives are embedded into the fabric of our organization. I am a 2024-2026 DELP scholar and I’m also a proud member of Black Association Executives. I’m here to share with you a little bit about what Black history means to me. For me growing up in the south born and raised in Texas, Black history has been embedded into the very fabric of my life since I can remember. Growing up I remember my grandmother telling me stories about teaching in Beaumont, TX, about being one of the teachers that helped to desegregate schools in the Beaumont area. I remember her telling me stories about the struggles. I remember her telling me stories about what she faced head on as she was part of the group to desegregate those schools. I remember hearing stories of my father about what it meant to grow up in TX as a Black man in the south. I remember hearing stories from my mother about what it meant to be one of the only if not one of the part of a handful of individuals that attended her high school. I remember hearing stories of triumph of resilience and of pressing forward in face of all of these plights. For me, Black history is important because it helps me to realize that things that happened before us,…the things happening now and how I want the future to look for my own children. It’s important to me that we not only take Black history seriously, but that when we remember that Black history is American history. I want my children; I want your children to grow up in a space where they feel like they are welcome. Where they can remember that Black history is important, that everything that they do, that everything that they are is worth it. I want them to be able to know and recognize their roots Their potential and that they can see themselves in their own futures. I have a very strong passion for DEI. I have a very strong passion for helping Black and brown people find their voices and I have a very strong passion for helping others in general. All of these pieces…my own makeup have brought me to the palace where I am today. A big part of that is understanding my own roots, understanding where my ancestors have been and understanding what it took for me to be in this place today. Black history for me is my history. It’s my people, it’s my family, it’s my growth, it’s everything around me. I am very, very happy to say that this month and every month, I celebrate black history because I have no choice. I am Black history. I am my ancestor’s greatest dream. It is really important to me that no matter what we do at this time and in the future, that we continue to strive to make sure that our voices are heard. That Black and brown voices are heard in every aspect of what we do, that we continue to find a seat at the table. Thank you all for listening to me. I really hope that you continue to have an amazing February, an amazing Black history month and continue to fight the fight. No matter what happens, we will still be here. Our fight is never over, and our voice will never be silenced.