During an agency-wide inquiry for Women’s Equality Day recognizing when women earned the right to vote, Staff Accountant Curtis Harris shared the story of his mother, Anne Harris. He wrote of her perseverance and the challenges she faced during a period when women of color were affected by heightened racial and gender discrimination.

Anne was born in the 1930s, when America was reeling from the impacts of the Great Depression which significantly impacted Black Americans. Despite these issues, Curtis’ mother was able to graduate from college at 18 and join the army in the 1950s where she served in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) during the Korean War.

She later moved to New York where she was a secretary for advertising giant Y&R. She raised four children with her husband and inspired them with phrases such as “You can do whatever you can believe you can achieve” and “never stop learning.” For Women’s Equality Day, Curtis celebrated his mother by noting her accomplishments and that she is still a central guiding figure in his life.

“Her very existence inspired me. I always wanted to make her proud of me, which is why I completed not only my undergraduate degree in accounting, but also my master’s degree in public administration,” said Curtis.

Anne Harris was an avid reader and held on to the belief that books can open the world to readers. He fondly remembers reading to her, her smile and how his parents never missed parent-teacher meetings at school.

Curtis also points out that although we have come a long way as a country, women still deal with significant barriers to equality. For this reason, he is mindful to advocate for women every day, by loving and learning from his three daughters and instilling his mother’s lessons in them.

Curtis was not the only agency member who highlighted a loved one, however. According to Workforce Equity & DEI Specialist, Tolulope Elizabeth Adenekan, PhD, most survey responses highlighted family members. She launched the campaign to commemorate Women’s Equality Day and recognize individual backgrounds and perspectives to create a richer, more empathetic work environment.

“By sharing stories and experiences, we aimed to highlight the importance of employees’ identities and promote a culture of understanding, respect and inclusion,” said Elizabeth. She also notes that DEI is a fundamental value that organizations should incorporate in their mission to foster an inclusive environment to empower employees to be their authentic selves to work.