What is Black History Month?

Black History Month is annual time to honor the achievements and history of Black people while acknowledging the progress toward equality. As a result, this is the perfect time to demonstrate Port Houston’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion while allowing teams to connect and learn from one another.

Black History Month has been officially recognized by the governments of the United States and Canada for the month of February each year. Additionally, Black History Month has been observed and recognized in October for people in Netherlands, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.¹

How Did Black History Month Get Started?

Before there was ever a Black History Month, there was “Negro History Week” which started in 1926, and held during the second week of February. This week was declared by historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Celebrating Negro History Week in February was a nod to both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, both born during the same week and great contributors to African American History. Negro History Week became more popular during the following decades sparking the push for Black History Month.²

In 1968, members of the Black United Students at Kent State University participated in sit-ins and protested disorderly conduct charges during Negro History Week. The following year students demanded Kent State University to extend the week into a month-long celebration. This act transformed Black History Month at the university and had ripple effects across the nation.³

In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”³

Celebrating Black Leaders at Port Houston

Curtis Duncan serves as Controller at Port Houston, and he does an excellent job of leading our teams in Payroll, Accounts Payable, Credit, Customer Billing Services and Financial Accounting.

Curtis was born in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Northwestern University. Before entering the thrilling world of Finance, Curtis was drafted by the Houston Oilers as a wide receiver in 1987. We are thankful that Curtis’s journey brought him to Port Houston in 2013.

“Diversity in the workforce, and especially diversity in leadership, is important because excellent companies should reflect and appreciate people from the wide variety of ethnicities, races, religions, and experiences that make our country great. As a Black man in leadership, I always strive for excellence because I am mindful of the path that I am paving for others who will follow or join me in similar positions of leadership,” states Curtis Duncan, Port Houston Controller.

Jennifer Aksoy is our Customer Service Manager for Bayport and Barbours Cut Container Terminals. She supervises a team of Logistics and Customer Service Coordinators making sure trucks are efficiently moving through our gates. She is in a key position to lead and support a team working in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment.

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Jennifer journeyed from California to join our Vessel Services team in 2012. She took on the position of Gate Manager in 2013, and in September 2022 she was promoted to her current position.

“Diverse representation in leadership allows for a wide range of important perspectives. Having a leadership role not only empowers my peers but also empowers other black professionals to be seen, valued, and heard at their organization,” states Jennifer Aksoy, Customer Service Manager of Port Houston Container Terminals.

Kerrick Henny is our Chief Government & Public Relations Officer. He is proud to carry on a family legacy of hard work instilled by his father, who worked two full-time jobs connected to the Houston Ship Channel (at ARMCO Steel and ILA Local 1351) for over 36 years.

A true port native, Kerrick grew up just two miles from the Houston Ship Channel in Galena Park. Before he found his way back to the port, his career would include joining the executive team at AT&T, working as a key player in early policy decisions around “big data,” and meeting five U.S. presidents!

“I’m so glad that the state and many companies are recognizing the importance of a diverse workforce. As a Black man in leadership, I’m very committed to being a servant leader, focused on the growth and well-being of our people and the communities to which we operate in. My focus as a leader is to always keep my team informed and help in their development so they can perform as highly as possible,” states Kerrick Henny, Port Houston Chief Government & Public Relations Officer.

Johnnie Gillyard serves as a Sergeant in our Police Department. She oversees the day shift personnel, which consists of nine officers between three terminals. She has taken on multiple roles for the department, including being a Certified Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D) Instructor, a Centurion Control Stick Instructor, a BolaWrap Instructor, and a member of the departmental TCOLE Training Advisory Board Committee.

Sergeant Gillyard is a native of Houston Texas with three decades of law enforcement experience. She joined Port Houston in November of 1992, and in September of 1994, she became the first Black woman to be promoted to Sergeant within Port Houston PD.

“I'm always working on gaining the trust of the community (tenants, ILA workers, visitors, etc.). Your ability to communicate clearly can help you earn the trust of the community in which you serve as a law enforcement officer. Interpersonal communication skills are important because they allow officers to develop a good rapport with the community, with fellow officers and those from diverse cultures, ” states Johnnie Gillyard, Port Houston Police Sergeant.

Resources

¹ Grant, Ph.D., B., & McGee, M.Ed., V. (2023, February 2). 10 facts about Black History Month: BestColleges. BestColleges.com. Retrieved February 13, 2023, from https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/black-history-month-facts/  

² History.com Editors, (2009, October 27). Black history facts – black history month & little known facts – history. History.com. Retrieved February 13, 2023, from https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-facts 

³ History.com Editors (2010, January 14). Black history Month 2023: Facts, origins & more | history – history. History.com. Retrieved February 13, 2023, from https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month 

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More than half of the region’s maritime workers are age 50 or older and quickly approaching retirement. There is a growing need for talent in all areas of maritime and industry-related occupations, including transportation, logistics and supply chain management, environmental, security, emergency management and various positions with ocean-going carriers.

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Port Houston’s maritime education program has gained momentum in recent years, providing professional opportunities for students in local school districts.

The program’s focus is to encourage area students to pursue career opportunities in the maritime, transportation or affiliated fields, including: logistics, freight, security and environmental affairs.

The port recently sponsored five maritime education graduation dinners for students in the region, highlighting program completion for this academic year. The schools included: Jack Yates Magnet High School, Stephen F. Austin High School, Galena Park High School, LaPorte High School and Pasadena Dr. Kirk Lewis Career and Technical High School.

“Part of the Port of Houston Partners in Maritime Education’s mission is to support our students in their continued advancement into the maritime industry,” said Gilda Ramirez, senior director for small business and education outreach for Port Houston. “One way of supporting them is to provide opportunities that will benefit their post-secondary education.”

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Port Houston invests in maritime education to help build and support the future workforce. More than 450 students and approximately 30 exhibitors attended the 2019 Maritime and Logistics Youth Expo held at the San Jacinto College Maritime Technology and Training Center April 26.

The expo featured presentations by mariners covering towboats, harbor tugs, barges, shipping forklifts, dredging, survey vessels and maritime salvage equipment. Logistics, distribution and transportation companies were on hand to share internship and career opportunities.

The port’s Small Business and Education Outreach department and the Port of Houston Partners in Maritime Education participated and supported this effort, where they helped students learn about different careers in the maritime and logistics industries.

The event also featured a splashing tugboat push competition and a simulated helicopter water rescue. The port’s emergency Mobile Command Center and a Port of Houston fire boat were on site and featured demonstrations. Games, learning activities, giveaways and a photo booth station were provided.

Academic partners included: Texas Southern University, Texas A&M Galveston, University of Houston, Houston Community College and San Jacinto College Maritime, which were all on hand to share maritime, logistics and supply-chain pathways and scholarship opportunities to students.

The event was organized and co-sponsored by Port Houston, Harris County Precinct 2, Houston Pilots, San Jacinto College and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

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Port Houston is committed to furthering maritime education in the Houston region. Port Houston participated during a “Maritime Letter of Intent” signing ceremony with the University of Houston-Downtown, Houston Community College and Houston ISD for the launch of a maritime degree progression program. The partnership will create pathways to degrees and careers for many students and aspiring professionals.

The letter of intent outlined a collaborative agreement allowing HISD students to enroll in maritime-related certificate and dual-credit courses in logistics and supply chain management in high school. The college credits earned would be transferable to HCC’s Associate of Applied Science in Logistics and Global Supply Chain Management. Ultimately, students could then apply credits toward UHD’s Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences in Applied Administration (ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best in the nation).

After delivering remarks, Juan Sánchez Muñoz, President, UH-Downtown; Grenita Lathan, HISD Interim Superintendent; Janet Wormack, HCC Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration and then-Port Houston Chairman Janiece Longoria signed the letter of intent.

“The topic of maritime education came up… and how important it is in our region,” Longoria said. “At Port Houston, we want the best people to fill these maritime careers, and we want to tap local talent. That’s why it’s important that we work with HISD, HCC and now, UHD to create a cohesive partnership.”

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Port Houston Senior Director of Small Business and Education Outreach, Gilda Ramirez, received the Texas Southern University 2018 Paul Cuffee Maritime Leadership Award at the college’s advisory board meeting Nov. 15.

The award is given to an individual or organization that supports minorities in the maritime industry along the Texas Gulf Coast.

“I am honored to have received this award given to professionals that have made a difference in the maritime industry,” said Ramirez.

Ramirez has led the port’s small business development efforts since the program’s inception in 2002 and has been a driver of the Port of Houston Partners in Maritime Education program, a nonprofit that offers education opportunities and scholarships to students in the Houston region.

She is native Houstonian from the East End region and joined Port Houston in 2002 as manager of Small Business Development. Under Ramirez’ leadership, the port has received numerous awards by organizations. She has served on various boards, is an active member of several chambers of commerce and continues to work as a small business advocate. 

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Middle school students with The Village School- Pumps and Pipes STEAM Academy took a tour of Port Houston recently.

Port Commissioner Theldon Branch III, Chief Commercial Officer John Moseley and Houston Ship Channel Project Manager Richard Ruchhoeft spoke to the students highlighting the background and significance of the port and its economic contributions to the region. “Many of our consumer and retail products come through the port,” noted Branch.

“The port keeps our nation and economy moving,” Moseley added. “The Houston Ship Channel is such an important waterway.”

Port Houston Small Business Outreach Manager Pedro Garcia and Maritime Education Coordinator Jacquie Young-Hall shared with the students about job and education opportunities in the maritime industry. “There are more than 100 career paths in the port sector,” noted Young-Hall. Port Houston has committed nearly five million dollars to maritime education.

The Village School in Houston offers the Pumps and Pipes STEAM Academy, a four-week summer program established in 2017, designed for high school students who are interested in an interdisciplinary approach to STEAM.  

The goal of the Academy Program is to create curriculum strands that can be translated to school districts around the world.  The program is a joint initiative between The Village School and Pumps and Pipes; the consortium between NASA, ExxonMobil, Houston Methodist Hospital and the University of Houston.

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Port Houston hosted the Shared Quarters National Maritime Workforce Conference at the San Jacinto Maritime Technology & Training Center in 2018.

The conference attracted industry professionals and educators from across the country to focus on the expansion of the maritime industry and efforts to incorporate community colleges for maritime workforce training.

Then-Port Chairman Janiece Longoria noted that the conference was a “critically important gathering aimed at addressing the need for a strong maritime workforce for the future.” More than 1,000 students in the region are in the pipeline for potential maritime industry careers.

“The Houston Ship Channel remains the backbone of the economic activity and the lifeblood of our region, our state and our nation,” Longoria said. “We continue to grow because tremendous investment is being made in our ship channel region to produce goods that are exported through our port.”

The event was comprised of panels that focused on military to maritime workforce crosswalks; and accreditation and curriculum for military and maritime professionals who are transitioning to college courses after military service.

Brenda Hellyer, Ed.D., Chancellor for San Jacinto College, noted that the port played a key role establishing the institution’s maritime facility near the port’s Bayport Container Terminal. The facility has a ship navigation and training simulator that was donated by the Houston Pilots Association.

Workforce development is the focus of the Port of Houston Partners in Maritime Education, a nonprofit organization founded in 2009 by the port. The program encourages area students to pursue career opportunities in the maritime transportation or affiliated fields, including logistics, freight, security and environmental affairs.

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This spring, more than 155 students graduated through the port’s highly acclaimed maritime education program and Port Houston hosted several graduation dinners to recognize them.

Participating schools included Jack Yates Senior High School and Stephen F. Austin High School for Maritime Studies in Houston ISD, Dr. Kirk Lewis Career and Technical High School in Pasadena and Galena Park High School and North Shore High School in Galena Park ISD.

These students received a medal of honor and a graduation certificate for their achievement. Port Commissioners Theldon Branch, Roy Mease and John Kennedy attended and spoke at various ceremonies.

Part of the Port of Houston Partners in Maritime Education’s mission is to support local students in their continued advancement into the maritime industry. One way of supporting them is by providing scholarships to contribute towards their post-secondary education.

This year, 20 students received $1,500 scholarships from the Port of Houston Partners in Maritime Education – the highest number of awards granted in the program’s history.

“As commissioners, we are proud of our Maritime Education programs and I hope that our commitment to education is evident,” said Port Chairman Janiece Longoria at a recent public meeting.

“It is truly gratifying to see that with our academia partners, we are able to help young people gain skills needed to fill the growing needs of the broad array of careers in the maritime industry.”

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Nearly 500 students attended the 2018 Maritime and Logistics Youth Expo held at the San Jacinto College Maritime Technology and Training Center April 20.

The port’s small business, maritime education and community relations departments participated, helping students learn about different careers in the maritime and logistics industries.

The expo featured presentations by mariners on the topics of towboats, harbor tugs, barges, shipping forklifts, dredging, survey vessels and maritime salvage equipment.

There were more than 30 exhibitors at the event. It also featured a splashing tugboat push competition. The port’s emergency Mobile Command Center and a Port of Houston fire boat were on site for demonstrations. Games, learning activities, giveaways and a photo booth station were provided throughout the morning.

“We are thrilled to be able to provide this opportunity to local middle school and high schools in the region. The purpose of this event is to open their eyes about potential career paths,” said Gilda Ramirez, Port Houston senior director for small business and education outreach.

The event is supported by the Port of Houston Partners in Maritime Education Program and is co-sponsored by Harris County Precinct 2, Houston Pilots, San Jacinto College and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

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