DALLAS, Feb. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) proudly celebrated Black History Month throughout February, but it doesn't stop there. "At Southwest Airlines, our commitment to diversity and inclusion and celebrating the rich cultures of our Employees and Customers isn't limited to a month-long celebration. We are proud to host and sponsor events throughout the year in an effort to honor the history and culture of the African American community," said Ellen Torbert, Southwest Airlines' Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion. "Southwest™ is proud to connect People to what's important in their lives, and our sponsorships of African American nonprofit organizations throughout the country is one of the many ways we do that."
Southwest Airlines proudly celebrated Black History Month and continues its commitment to the African American community throughout the year:
January | Dallas Dinner Table 2016, Dallas
Southwest Airlines was a proud corporate host of Dallas Dinner Table 2016, an initiative that seeks to bring people together to have a conversation about race over dinner in an effort to improve race relations in Dallas and the surrounding region.
January | UNCF, Martin Luther King, Jr., Legislative Breakfast, Greenbelt, Md.
Southwest is the official airline of the UNCF Washington Area Office and celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., through its support of this annual breakfast.
January – December | National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Traveling Exhibit, Baltimore
Southwest is the official airline of the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum Traveling Exhibit to promote education in classrooms, conferences, and special events across the country.
January – December | The Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Foundation for Arts and Education, Annual Black History Celebration, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Southwest Airlines is the official airline of The Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Foundation for Arts and Education. The Kinsey Collection assists educational and cultural institutions with educating underserved youth and increasing public awareness about African American history and ancestry.
January - December | African American Museum, Philadelphia
Southwest is the official airline of the museum's programs, special events, and exhibits.
February | 30th Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA), Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Global Competitiveness Conference, Philadelphia
Southwest proudly supports BEYA's 30th annual STEM conference where professionals find training, networking, role models, mentors, and inspiring awards. Additionally, students enhance their academic careers and get tools for successful STEM careers by attending the career fair, meeting top employers, and taking advantage of onsite resources designed to enhance job searches.
February | Washington Informer, Annual African American Heritage Tour, Baltimore
Southwest is the official airline of the Washington Informer African American Heritage Tour to promote education about and appreciation for African American heritage.
February | Southwest Airlines, Power of Inclusion: Black History Month, Dallas
Southwest Airlines hosted an event for Employees at its headquarters in honor of Black History Month. This year's event featured keynote speakers Rocky, "Rock-T", Turner, Nationally Syndicated radio host of The Rickey Smiley Morning Show and Dish Nation TV Personality, and Pat Smith, President & CEO, Pat Smith Enterprises.
February | NAACP, 47th Image Awards, Pasadena, Calif.
Southwest Airlines was the Supporting Sponsor and the Presenter for Entertainer of the Year for the NAACP Image Awards. The events are an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature.
February | Arizona Black Chamber of Commerce (BCA), 18th Annual Awards Banquet, Phoenix
Southwest Airlines is the official airline of the Arizona Black Chamber of Commerce. The mission of the BCA is to improve the economic development of business entrepreneurs and the communities for which they serve. The BCA serves as the cornerstone for educational training, resource programs, resources, and economic growth opportunities with a specific emphasis on "Business in Action."
February | Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), 90th Annual Black History Luncheon, Washington, D.C.
ASALH selected this year's annual theme, "Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories" to bring attention to the centennial celebration of the National Park Service and its more than 25 sites with an African American focus, including the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom and, most important to ASALH, the home of its founder, Carter G. Woodson, the Father of Black History.
March 9-12 | Black Enterprise (BE), Women of Power Summit Conference, Hollywood, Fla.
Southwest Airlines is a Platinum Corporate Sponsor and the official airline of the BE Women of Power 2016 Summit. The summit will highlight the value of superior knowledge of self—knowing your worth, your truth, and your power.
March 11-12 | The Washington Informer Spelling Bee, Washington, DC., and Prince George's County
Southwest is the official airline of the Washington Informer Spelling Bee and Washington Informer Charities to promote education.
July 16 | Southwest Airlines, Continuing the Legacy in Aviation, Indianapolis
Southwest Airlines will host students and their parents for the reunion of the Continuing the Legacy in Aviation at the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., National Convention. Students will learn about African American aviators, careers at Southwest Airlines, the incredible history of the Tuskegee Airmen, and meet the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher.
August – July | NAACP, ACT-SO Program, Houston, Los Angeles, & Long Beach, Calif.
Southwest Airlines is the official airline of the NAACP ACT-SO Program in various cities across the country. ACT-SO provides a forum through which youth of African descent demonstrate academic, artistic, and scientific prowess and expertise, thereby gaining the same recognition often only reserved for entertainers and athletes.
September | Southwest Airlines, Inclusion and Innovation Summit
Southwest Airlines will host its seventh annual diversity summit. All Southwest Employees are encouraged to attend a day-long session focusing on the connections between inclusion, innovation, and building a world class company.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 45th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 49,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers annually. Southwest proudly operates a network of 97 destinations across the United States and seven additional countries with more than 3,900 departures a day during peak travel season.
Based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent data, Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded. The Company operates the largest fleet of Boeing aircraft in the world, the majority of which are equipped with satellite-based WiFi providing gate-to-gate connectivity. That connectivity enables Customers to use their personal devices to view video on-demand movies and television shows, as well as nearly 20 channels of free, live TV compliments of our valued Partners. Southwest created Transfarency℠, a philosophy which treats Customers honestly and fairly, and in which low fares actually stay low. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free® to everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply, some airlines may allow free checked bags on select routes or for qualified circumstances), and there are no change fees, though fare differences might apply. In 2014, the airline proudly unveiled a bold new look: Heart. The new aircraft livery, airport experience, and logo, showcase the dedication of Southwest Employees to connect Customers with what's important in their lives.
From its first flights on June 18, 1971, Southwest Airlines launched an era of unprecedented affordability in air travel described by the U.S. Department of Transportation as "The Southwest Effect," a lowering of fares and increase in passenger traffic whenever the carrier enters new markets. With 43 consecutive years of profitability, Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet. The 2014 Southwest Airlines One Report™ can be found at SouthwestOneReport.com.
Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.
SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.
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