We received a powerful update from former MHF solo student Jamar Harrison. Jamar is an executive at Delta Airlines, where he continues to exemplify the “Rise Above” principles: Aim High, Believe In Yourself, Use Your Brain, Never Quit, Be Ready To Go, Expect To Win. As we read Jamar’s update, we’re reminded of the Biblical parable that talks about seeds planted in fertile soil, bearing good fruit. Jamar writes:
"I hope you are healthy & safe! I wanted to reach out & share some exciting career updates with you. To start, I’ll be completely honest – it’s been a really hard few months for me, personally. At times I’ve felt completely overwhelmed, discouraged and helpless given the current state of our world. However, I remain hopeful that we can make true change and help transform the lives of communities that have been historically marginalized and often forgotten.
Last week I was invited to meet with Ed Bastian (CEO of Delta Air Lines), alongside 5 other Black leaders in the organization, to have an open & honest discussion about the Black experience, being Black in Corporate America, being Black in the airline industry in addition to a host of other topics pertaining to the Black community. I spoke with Ed about the importance of having representation & visibility in communities of color and mentioned how the Mile High Flight Program made such an impact on my life as a teenager and continues to drive my passion for exposing minorities to the aviation industry. I challenged him to rethink how Delta “ builds the diversity pipeline” to include planting seeds in the community way before youth of color board our planes or graduate with degrees — we must affirm & support communities early on without the corporate ideology of 'return on investments'. We had a 2-hour heartfelt discussion that ended with brainstorming ways for Delta to be a part of making the world a more equitable, just place.
I’m honored to share that Ed has asked me to join a newly created CEO Advisory Board to help guide him & Delta along the journey to supporting, uplifting, and amplifying the black community. In addition to my role within Network Planning, I will be meeting with Ed once a month going forward, indefinitely. While I am extremely excited for the journey ahead, I truly feel the responsibility & gravity that comes with such a role — I don’t take this opportunity lightly.
Going forward you have my word that I will fight for our communities at every chance. In addition, once the airline industry returns to profitability and we are able to share monetary resources & support, I will advocate for programs (including Mile High Flight Program) with hopes that we can help support a mission that is so incredibly near & dear to our hearts. The work is just beginning but the sky is truly the limit.
I’ll be sure to continue to update you on my progress, but I just wanted you to know that it’s because of organizations like Mile High Flight Program that made this possible. I stand on the shoulders of so many and I promise to continue to reach out and uplift those coming behind me."
Wheels Up,
Jamar Harrison
