Black History Month: Chekesha Donaldson is “hopeful and optimistic” about diversity initiatives at Beacon

Chekesha Donaldson

Whether she is reconciling staff credit card purchases, planning managers’ travel to conferences, crafting a monthly newsletter, ordering supplies or organizing new associate breakfasts, Chekesha Donaldson says much of what she does daily at Memorial Hospital is “behind the scenes.”

She loves that aspect of her job and doesn’t necessarily want recognition for her work. She realizes that the better she performs, the smoother things go, which makes her work less noticeable to others.

But Donaldson, Administrative Coordinator for Surgical and Trauma Services, does want African Americans’ contributions to society and to their workplaces to be acknowledged.

“It’s important to celebrate Black History Month because we are moving into a new era of being more diverse and inclusive in the workplace as well as our communities, and we want to make sure we recognize those who are a part of Beacon in that process, especially since the culture of the world has shifted tremendously over the past years,” Donaldson said.

In May 2020, about a month before she was hired at Memorial, a white Minneapolis police officer murdered African American George Floyd, a case that resulted in protests across the nation that summer.

“Because of the George Floyd incident, it just became obvious to many that we need to be more inclusive for the Black community. We have contributed and sacrificed a lot for this country,” Donaldson said. “Our struggle has not ended, we are just pushing back for more equality. I believe that allowing the world to see how we as a people are treated on camera caused a major shift in equality or the lack thereof because it was suddenly visible to everyone and anyone to see.”

Donaldson said she has asked managers in her division to honor the month by reading a book, becoming more aware, donating time, or patronizing a small Black business to support the African American community.

She praised Beacon Health System’s leaders for creating a diversity, equity and inclusion initiative but noted that she hopes it doesn’t lose momentum as the nation’s racial reckoning continues.

“You know how the wheel starts and then later momentum can be lost, finally then the wheel slows down? I don’t want that to happen. We have to maintain momentum.”

The Black/African American Associate Resource Group to which she belongs has scheduled some events, including a trivia contest, wearing red one day, sharing a “soul food” lunch, and having a “Roundtable Conversation: Beacon Throughout the Years” to discuss Beacon’s workplace culture.

Donaldson said she is “very hopeful and totally optimistic” that momentum will continue.

“Time will tell,” she said. “For me, because I’m Black African-American, I want to see it go really fast and I’m sure other people do, too. It just takes time. With time you’ve got to have patience.”