SEATTLE, April 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska
Airlines' "Our Commitment" aircraft took to the skies in
partnership with UNCF (United Negro College Fund), a symbol of the
airline's promise to create a place where everyone sees themselves
and belongs. Designed with Alaska's Air Group Black Employees, Allies and
Advocates (ABEA) group to illustrate the airline's belief in
education as the great equalizer and as a critical component of
creating sustainable racial equity, the aircraft features 14
profiles of the next generation of leaders: the children,
grandchildren and mentees of Alaska's employees. The aircraft made its
inaugural flight from Seattle to
Washington D.C., on Tuesday, April 27.
"As a company, we know we are not yet where we need to be when
it comes to diversity, but we are inspired and guided by our value
to do the right thing. With this aircraft, we are doing the
right thing by amplifying the conversation around education, equity
and belonging and taking it to the skies," said Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines CEO. "This
aircraft will continue to be an inspiration for us on the
journey."
Commitment to Education
The aircraft embodies
Alaska's long-term partnership
with UNCF, the largest scholarship provider for students of color
and an organization dedicated to enabling under-represented
students to become highly-qualified college graduates. "Our
Commitment" will fly throughout Alaska's network year-round spreading the word
about UNCF and inspiring conversation around racial equity and the
transformative impact of education in the lives of young
people.
Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president
and CEO of UNCF said, "While small in number, our HBCUs are
landmarks to our past and keys to our future. They enable us to
keep a legacy—by their very existence. HBCUs are
much more than schools. They are places where Black students
can feel safe, welcomed, and embraced by the college community.
Additionally, the nation's HBCUs make up just 3% of America's
colleges and universities, yet they produce almost 20% of all
African American graduates and 25% of African American graduates in
the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics—the critical industries of the future."
This special paint theme builds on more than 15 years of
partnership, including Alaska
employees and guests donating millions of miles to UNCF to fly
students to college tours and campuses at numerous Historically
Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). Alaska has committed to donating an additional
10 million miles over the course of the program and has also
established a scholarship fund to help overcome the financial
obstacles of getting a college education.
"As the only Congresswoman to graduate from Clark Atlanta University, I know firsthand how
crucial a world-class education from an HBCU is to opening up
pathways for success. Educational equity is the key to building a
brighter, more inclusive future for all students, including those
who are traditionally underserved. I was truly honored to join the
inaugural flight from Seattle-Tacoma Airport to DC to celebrate
this historic partnership between Alaska Airlines and UNCF to
promote education, equity, and diversity," said Congresswoman
Marilyn Strickland.
Read More: 'I am my ancestors' wildest dreams': Albany State
Alum shares the importance of HBCUs' history, legacy and
excellence
About the Aircraft
With "Our Commitment" aircraft,
Alaska is honoring its value of
doing the right thing, taking the conversation around
education, equity and belonging to the skies. The aircraft features
the profiles of 14 children, grandchildren and mentees of
Alaska employees, along with two
quotes that have inspired the airline's diversity, equity and
inclusion work.
"The time is always right to do what is right." –
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr.
"Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change
the world." – Nelson Mandela
The typography on the aircraft was created by Adé Hogue, a
Chicago-based artist and designer,
who found inspiration in Civil Rights Movement-era imagery. The
profile design was created by an Alaska Airlines employee, whose
child is one of the feature profiles.
The plane is a Boeing 737-900ER, and commercial service on the
aircraft began April 27 with an
inaugural flight to Washington,
D.C. Onboard, guests can expect a special greeting when they
board that explains the vision and purpose of the aircraft. They
will also be able to learn more through a custom seatback card and
digital resources featuring bios of the children on the aircraft,
details on Alaska's commitments to
diversity and equity, and information on UNCF and HBCUs, including
how to donate to the organization.
Faces of Alaska Airlines
The 14 students featured on
the plane represent the next generation of leaders, and the diverse
voices and faces in the Alaska Airlines family. Some of the
students include:
- Shilah, daughter of Shirah, a Los Angeles-based flight attendant for
Alaska. Shilah is in 11th grade
and aspires to have a career in STEM. She loves computer science,
art and crocheting. She plays golf and soccer, and likes to go
thrift shopping with her mom.
- Arthur, son of Macara, a training delivery specialist
for Alaska in Seattle. Arthur is in 8th grade and was
recently accepted to Raisbeck Aviation High School in Tukwila, Wash. His greatest love is
aeronautics and space exploration. He also enjoys creating models
using his 3D printer and plays the bass guitar and piano.
- Jade, daughter of Sarah, an Alaska Airlines Lounge
manager in Seattle. Jade is a
student at the University of
Washington, majoring in Linguistics. She has studied
Spanish, Portuguese and Swahili. In addition to her native English,
she is fluent in German.
- Jonathan and Alexis, children of John-Antony, ITS senior
test manager for Alaska. Jonathan
is a freshman at the University of
Washington, majoring in communications. He loves
coordinating events and jazz music. He also speaks French and
Spanish. Alexis is a sophomore at Whitworth University in
Spokane, Wash. She's majoring in
International Studies and French, with aspirations of going into
law. She also loves poetry and roller-skating.
Some of these students shared their reflections on equity and
education, in their own words:
"Equity is something a kid can't control, yet could possibly
affect their entire future," says Shilah, 11th grade. "Every child
deserves an equal opportunity to be able to succeed, and you only
get that when you have an equal playing field."
"Knowledge is power. If you have knowledge, you can change the
world. You can make it a better place and that's what we really
need to do," says Dominique, 11th grade.
"Equity challenges the imbalances and power within our society,"
says Alexis, sophomore at Whitworth University. "Equity is not
about making sure that everybody has the same amount. It's about
making sure that everybody has the same start."
Find information on all 14 students here.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Goals
Earlier in 2021,
Alaska Airlines launched its new diversity, equity and inclusion
commitments to increase BIPOC representation in leadership,
continue to cultivate an inclusive culture and to lead publicly by
supporting education on the path to equity. These goals
include:
- By 2025, Alaska Airlines will increase racial diversity at all
levels to at least 30 percent, including at the leadership level to
reflect the diversity of its frontline employees.
- By 2025, Alaska will increase
its "Inclusion Index Score" in its employee engagement survey by 10
points, reflecting its commitment to cultivating a truly inclusive
culture where everyone feels like they belong.
- By 2025, Alaska will help
create career pathways for at least 175,000 young people through
continued partnerships with organizations like UNCF.
"As a leader in aviation, we have a responsibility to use our
platform and voice to spark much needed conversations around the
need for greater diversity, equity and inclusion within our
industry, and that starts from the top down," Alaska Airlines CEO
Ben Minicucci said. "Our greatest
opportunity is to increase the diversity of our leadership levels
to reflect the diversity of our broader employee population."
About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the
nation's largest and most effective minority
education organization. To serve youth, the community and the
nation, UNCF supports students' education and development
through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens
its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the
importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF
institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities
are highly effective, awarding nearly 20% of African American
baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than
400 programs, including scholarship, internship and
fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and
faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000
students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the
country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in
education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a
terrible thing to waste."® Learn more
at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news,
follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.
About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines and its regional
partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States and to Mexico, Canada and Costa
Rica, providing essential air service for our guests along
with moving crucial cargo shipments, such as food, medicine, mail
and e-commerce deliveries. With hubs in Seattle; San
Francisco; Los Angeles;
Portland, Oregon; and Anchorage,
the airline is known for low fares, award-winning customer service
and sustainability efforts. With Alaska and its Global Partners, guests can
earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 800 destinations
worldwide. Learn about Alaska's
award-winning service at newsroom.alaskaair.com and
blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are
subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).
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SOURCE Alaska Airlines
