Southwest Airlines Proudly Celebrates Black History Month

DALLAS, Feb. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) is proud to celebrate its continued commitment to the African American community by hosting a variety of activities throughout the year.  The Company champions diversity and inclusion and the causes that matter most to its Customers and Employees.  Please visit Southwest's YouTube channel to learn more about how Southwest Airlines gives back to the African American community. 

"At Southwest Airlines, we are constantly striving for ways to further develop our Culture that values the unique perspectives and talents of all our People," said Ellen Torbert, Southwest Airlines' Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion. "Through the years, we have built meaningful relationships with nonprofit organizations who work to strengthen the communities we serve.  We are proud that through these community partnerships, we are able to champion the causes that matter most to the African American community." 

Here's how Southwest proudly gives back to the African American community:

Feb. 8 | 4th Annual Washington Informer African American Heritage Tour:  From Civil War to Civil Rights, Washington, D.C.
Southwest Airlines proudly supports the African American Heritage Tour to promote education about and appreciation for African American heritage.

Feb. 22 | African American Pioneers in Aviation Day, Washington, D.C.
Southwest Airlines celebrates significant contributions African Americans have made to flight and space exploration.

March 11-16 | National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) Annual Conference, Milwaukee, Wis.
Southwest proudly sponsors the NBLSA as they promote the educational, professional, political, and social needs and goals of Black law students.

April | Jenesse Center, Inc., Silver Rose Awards, Los Angeles
Southwest Airlines proudly supports Jenesse Center, Inc., in their efforts to provide victims of domestic violence with a comprehensive, centralized base of support to assist them in addressing their immediate crises and changing the patterns of their lives.   

July 17-20 | NAACP Youth Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological & Scientific Olympics Program, Las Vegas
Southwest sends students to compete in a year-long achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African American high school students.

September | Urban League of Hampton Roads, Inc., Women of Power Series Luncheon, Hampton, Va.
Southwest Airlines brings together African American women to learn about and celebrate empowerment through education, employment, and entrepreneurship.  

September | National Congress of Black Women (NCBW) Annual Luncheon, Washington, D.C.
Southwest Airlines proudly supports the National Congress of Black Women at their annual luncheon.  The NCBW is dedicated to the educational, political, economic, and cultural development of African American Women and their families. 

Since Southwest's beginnings more than 42 years ago, the LUV airline has always approached business differently—instituting the ten-minute turn, democratizing the skies with affordable air travel, delivering Legendary Customer Service—the list goes on and on. One thing that has remained constant since Southwest took to the skies is doing the right thing, and it always comes from the heart.  To learn more about how Southwest gives back to the African American community, visit www.southwest.com/blackhistory.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 43^rd year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 45,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers annually.  Southwest is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded, and including wholly-owned subsidiary, AirTran Airways, operates the largest fleet of Boeing aircraft in the world to serve 96 destinations in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and five near-international countries. Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for its triple bottom line approach that takes into account the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities it serves, and its commitment to efficiency and the planet.  The 2012 Southwest Airlines One Report™ can be found at southwest.com/citizenship.

www.southwest.com

SOURCE Southwest Airlines