was a few weeks after George Floyd had been murdered by Minneapolis police, thrusting the Twin Cities into the epicenter of a national movement. That day, Williams, a distinguished professor of history and RJI founding director, was addressing a meeting of the Minnesota Business Partnership, which comprises the top executives of the state’s largest employers. Young, as the only Black CEO in the audience, was deeply moved to hear another Black man speak candidly about his own experience, and
by the way that Williams was able to illuminate little-known aspects of African American history — what Williams calls “the six degrees of segregation” — and tie the past to the present. Young knew then he wanted Williams to do similar educational sessions for his entire company. The first series of presentations was for Young’s executive leadership team, then the board of directors, and then Delta Dental of Minnesota’s entire workforce of 310 people, including its technology and call center in Bemidji, Minnesota.
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