by Brittany Bolden
I’ve always been very fond of February. The weather is perfect for layering, love is in the air, and my culture’s resiliency is celebrated. This month, I am more intentional about showing love and embracing my blackness. My grandfather reminds me of how important it is to express my love. He never forgets to ask me how someone knows that I love them. Without fail, he answers his own question passionately, “It’s shown by how you spend your time and money because love is an action word.”
Historically, the financial services industry is not known as a place where love resides, but the story is different for this 173-year-old mutual company. Think about how National Life Group invests our resources. From establishing charitable endowments for our foundation to actively stewarding our culture with our Culture Fellows, we invest time and money in bettering people’s lives and their families’ legacies by keeping our promises.
On March 5, 2022, National Life is sponsoring Black Excellence Night in Dallas with attendees from various departments across the enterprise. Black Excellence Night occurs at the American Airlines Center in conjunction with the Dallas Mavericks. On the heels of Black History Month, Black Excellence Night celebrates black leaders in DFW. This empowers and supports Black businesses and creates networking opportunities for Black professionals and small business owners. A dynamic panel of black business leaders and entrepreneurs is poised to share their keys to success.
With the pandemic dominating conversations, National Life’s sponsorship and presence advances the conversation about finances, family, health, and how we invest our time in that what matters most. For Black Americans, these conversations have certainly changed how many families think about life insurance. While it is commonplace for families in the Black community to lack life insurance coverage, LIMRA’s 2021 Barometer Study suggests that 56 percent of Black Americans purchased life insurance policies last year — the highest rate among all racial groups. This gain shows the response to the harsh reality of mortality and its devastating impact on the community.
I’m thrilled by the BUILD program’s goals to increase awareness and equip financial service professions with skills needed to broaden their reach in the Black community. Investments in BUILD will support National Life’s journey to serve over 2 million customers. We continue to break records and set goals that scare us, never forgetting to DO GOOD. I spend time at National Life out of love for the people that make it special and the opportunities we collectively bring to offer peace of mind to everyone we touch.
How are you showing your love today?
Feature photo: Brittany and her family