Long before Juneteenth became a nationally recognized holiday, it held a special significance for Fanesse George and her family. When she was a child, Fanesse remembers eating fresh fruit and watching steel drummers perform on the street in Harlem. "There was this extra energy," recalls Fanesse, director of the Office of Staff Diversity, Inclusion and Employee Engagement at Weill Cornell Medicine, who grew up in the Bronx and attended church in Harlem. "After church, there was this vibrant scene that happened every June." Since 2020, following Fanesse's contributions to educating our community on the significance of Juneteenth, Weill Cornell Medicine has formally recognized it as a holiday. "It's a sense of pride and an honor for me to be part of an effort that brings Juneteenth to life for people at Weill Cornell Medicine," she says. Fanesse began her journey here in 2018 as a human resources onboarding coordinator and eventually moved into newly created DEI roles. When George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officers in 2020, she organized a virtual town hall for our community to talk about how the horrific event affected them. "I was overwhelmed by the reception to it," she recalls. "People were crying. I will never forget that as we signed off (the Zoom), someone started singing, 'We Shall Overcome," and other people unmuted and started singing with her. We needed that community space." That pivotal moment led Fanesse to bring dozens of diversity, equity, and inclusion workshops to departments across the institution. "DEI is meant to support everyone in the workplace," she says. "To make sure everybody has a positive experience, regardless of their identity, not because of their identity." For Fanesse, Juneteenth is an opportunity to share experiences, learn from one another and build a better future for all. This month, Fanesse and her team took that message to the communities we serve and attended the Juneteenth Freedom Fest in Harlem, where she once walked as a child in awe of the festivities every June. "Juneteenth is about remembering the past and a reminder that even though we've made a lot of strides, the work continues."
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Thank you, Fanesse!
Fanesse I remember that town hall, so moving. Thank you for your contribution to this community.
Thank you Fanesse and your team for your amazing contribution to our WCM community! I am very proud of all of us being part of WCM!
I love this. Thank you for sharing your experience and what led you to be such a dynamic and warm person Fanesse G.
Love hearing your story, Fanesse G.! Thank you for all you and your team bring to Weill Cornell Medicine.
George Liao
3w
This is so wonderful! Thanks for sharing! 😁
Executive Assistant
4w💜